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e isthere's now no way for me to learn。 And I don't want to know。 And I don't want her ever to know about me。 I don't ever want to be the cause of making her feel disgraced； or of dragging her down from among the people where she belongs。〃
The Duchess gave no visible sign of emotion； but her ancient heart… strings were set vibrating by that tense； low…pitched voice。 She had a momentary impulse to tell him the truth。 But just then the Duchess was a confusion of many conflicting impulses； and the balance of their strength was for the moment against telling。 So she said nothing。
Their talk drifted back to commonplaces； and presently Joe Ellison went away。 The Duchess sat motionless at her desk； again thinking thinkingthinking； and when Joe Ellison was back in his gardener's cottage at Cedar Crest and was happily asleep； she still sat where he had left her。 During her generations of looking upon life from the inside； she had seen the truth of many strange situations of which the world had learned only the wildest rumors or the most respectable versions； but during the long night hours； perhaps because the affair touched her so closely； this seemed to her the strangest situation she had ever known。 A father believing with the firm belief of established certainty that his daughter had been brought up free from all taint of his own life； carefully bred among the best of people。 In reality the girl brought up in a criminal atmosphere； with criminal ideas implanted in her as normal ideas； and carefully trained in criminal ways and ambitions。 And neither father nor daughter having a guess of the truth。
Indeed it was a strange situation！ A situation charged with all kinds of unforeseeable results。
The Duchess now understood the unfatherly disregard Old Jimmie had shown for the ordinary welfare of Maggie。 Not being her father； he had not cared。 Superficially； at least； Jimmie Carlisle must have been a much more plausible individual twenty years earlier； to have won the implicit trust of Joe Ellison and to have become his foremost friend。 She understood one reason why Old Jimmie had always boarded Maggie in the cheapest and lowest places； his hidden cupidity had thereby been pocketing about a thousand dollars a year of trust money for over sixteen years。
But there was one queer problem here to which the Duchess could not at this time see the answer。 If Jimmie Carlisle had wished to gratify his cupidity and double…cross his friend； why had he not at the very start placed Maggie in an orphanage where she would have been neither charge nor cost to him； and thus have had the use of every penny of the trust fund？ Why had he chosen to keep her by him； and train her carefully to be exactly what her father had most wished her not to be？ There must have been some motive in the furtive； tortuous mind of Old Jimmie； that now would perhaps forever remain a mystery。
Of course she saw； or thought she saw； the reason for the report of Old Jimmie's death to Joe Ellison。 That report had been sent to escape an accounting。
As she sat through the night hours the Duchess for the first time felt warmth creep over her for Maggie。 She saw Maggie in the light of a victim。 If Maggie had been brought up as her father had planned； she might now be much the girl her father dreamed her。 But Old Jimmie had entered the scheme of things。 Yes； the audacious； willful； confident Maggie； bent on conquering the world in the way Old Jimmie and later Barney Palmer had taught her； was really just a poor misguided victim who should have had a far different fate。
And now the Duchess came to one of the greatest problems of her life。 What should she do？ Considering the facts that Joe Ellison wished the life of a recluse and desired to avoid all talk of the old days； the chances were that he would never happen upon the real state of affairs。 Only she and Old Jimmie knew the essentials of the situation… …and very likely Jimmie did not yet know that the friend who had once trusted him was now a free man。 She felt as though she held in her hands the strings of destiny。 Should she tell the truth？
She pondered long。 All her considerations were given weight according to what she saw as their possible effect upon Larry； for Larry was the one person left whom she loved； and on him were fixed the aspirations of these her final years。 Therefore her thoughts and arguments were myopic； almost necessarily specious。 She wanted to see justice done； of course。 But most of all she wanted what was best for Larry。 If she told the truth； it might result in some kind of temporary breakdown in Maggie's attitude which would bring her and Larry together。 That would be disastrous。 If not disastrous at once； certainly in the end。 Maggie was a victim； and undoubtedly deserved sympathy。 But others should not be sacrificed merely because Maggie had suffered an injury。 She had been too long under the tutelage of Old Jimmie； and his teachings were now too thoroughly the fiber of her very being； for her to alter permanently。 She might change temporarily under the urge of an emotional revelation； but she would surely revert to her present self。 There was no doubt of that。
And the Duchess gave weight to other considerationsall human； yet all in some measure specious。 Joe Ellison was happy in his dream； and would be happy in it all the rest of his life。 Why tell the truth and destroy his precious illusion？especially when there was no chance to change Maggie？
And further； she recalled the terrific temper that had lived within the composed demeanor of Joe Ellison。 The fires of that temper could not yet be all burned out。 If she told the truth； told that Jimmie Carlisle was still alive； that might be just touching the trigger of a devastating tragedymight be disaster for all。 What would be the use when no one would have been benefited？
And so； in the wisdom of her old head and the entanglements of her old heart； the Duchess decided she would never tell。 And that loving； human decision she was to cling to through the stress of times to come。
But even while she was thus deciding upon a measure to checkmate them both； Larry was pacing his room at Cedar Crest； at last excitedly evolving the elusive plan which was to bring Maggie to her senses and also to him； and Maggie； all unconscious of this new element which had entered as a potential factor in her existence； all unconscious of how far she had been guided from the course which had been charted for her； was lying awake at the Grantham after a late party at which Dick Sherwood had been her escort； and was exulting pridefully over the seemingly near consummation of the plan that was to show Larry Brainard how wrong he was and that was to establish her as the cleverest woman in her linebetter even than Barney or Old Jimmie believed her。
And thus separate wills each strove to direct their own lives and other lives according to their own separate plans； little thinking to what extent they were all entangled in a common destiny； and thinking not at all of the further seed that was being sown for the harvest… time of the whirlwind。
CHAPTER XXII
After Larry's many days and nights of futile searching of his brain for a plan that would accord with his fundamental idea for awakening the unguessed other self of Maggie； the plan； which finally came to him complete in all its details in a single moment； was so simple and obvious that he marveled it could have been plainly before his eyes all this while without his ever seeing it。 Of course the plan was dangerous and of doubtful issue。 It had to be so； because it involved the reactions of strong…tempered persons as yet unacquainted who would have no foreknowledge of the design behind their new relationship； and because its success or failure； which might also mean his own complete failure； the complete loss of all he had thus far gained； depended largely upon the twist of events which he could not foresee and therefore could not guide。
Briefly； his plan was so to manage as to have Maggie received in the Sherwood household as a guest； to have her receive the frank； unquestioning hospitality （and perhaps friendship） of such a gracious； highly placed； unpretentious woman as Miss Sherwood； so distinctly a native of； and not an immigrant to； the great world。 To be received as a friend by those against whom she plotted； to have the generous； unsuspecting friendship of Miss Sherwoodif anything just then had a chance to open the blinded Maggie's eyes to the evil and error of what she was engaged upon； if anything had a chance to appeal to the finer things he believed to exist unrecognized or suppressed in Maggie； this was that thing。
And best part of this plan； its effect would be only within Maggie's self。 No one need know that anything had happened。 There would be no exposure； no humiliation。
Of course there was the great question of how to get Miss Sherwood to invite Maggie； and whether indeed Miss Sherwood would invite her at all。 And there was the further question； the invitation being sent； of whether Maggie would accept。
Larry decided to manipulate his design through Dick Sherwood。 Late that afternoon； when Dick； just returned from the city； dropped into； as was his before…dinner cus