"
"Well, and supposing, by some chance, the defendants should win! What
would become of me?"
"Ah! that is where your self-sacrifice would come in! It would be a
noble action."
"How does this wrong, you say they are about to perpetrate, touch on
you personally?"
"It touches on some one with whom I am personally acquainted."
"Some one you like?"
"Yes!"
"A relation?"
"That I can't say."
"Then I can't help you. I am naturally inquisitive; curiosity is, as
you know, a woman's privilege. You must tell me all."
"It's for a friend, then!"
"A man?"
"No," Shiel replied, "for a girl!"
There was an emphatic silence, and then Lilian Rosenberg spoke.
"Have I ever heard you mention her?"
"Occasionally," Shiel replied.
There was silence again. Then Lilian Rosenberg said slowly--
"You surely don't mean Gladys Martin! I can think of no one else."
"I do mean her!" Shiel replied, dropping his eyes. "She is to be
coerced into marrying Hamar."
"The silly fool!" Lilian Rosenberg said. "I would like to see any one
trying to coerce me. And it is to serve _her_ you want me to sacrifice
myself." And she turned away in disgust.
After this interview, Lilian studiously avoided Shiel; and despairing,
at length, of ever winning her over, Shiel reported his failure to
H.V. Sevenning.
"We must subpoena her," said Sevenning.
"You'll never get her to speak that way," Shiel said. "If once she has
made up her mind not to do a thing, nothing will ever compel her.
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