"Yes?" "Miss Lacey is going on the same train." "Ah," Dunham nodded slowly and with becoming gravity. "You will have a seat in the parlor car. She will not have. Martha would think that nonsense; but her errand will be at the same place as yours. My sister married her brother. Both are dead, and they have left a daughter who has come out of the West to Boston to seek us. I suspect there may be a good deal of wool clinging to her." "A lamb, of course," murmured Dunham. "The disposition of this girl is costing Miss Lacey considerable worry, and me quite as much, although I don't think best to let Martha know it. I intended to go to the hotel to meet her myself; but"— The younger man smiled, and the judge saw that he understood. "I shall prepare some memoranda for you. What I am ready to buy is peace. You understand? You will be cautious, and not let me in for anything except perhaps immediate expenses. Follow Miss Lacey's lead; but let her lead. Eh?" "Certainly, Judge Trent. As I said before, I can manage this with one hand tied behind me. It isn't as if it were the Evans case." "The Evans case!" Judge Trent growled scornfully. "The Evans case is a bagatelle to this. Now you see to it that you're wise as a serpent in this matter. First and foremostly, and last and lastly, I won't have that girl in my house. Understand?" "Oh, surely. I understand." "Let Miss Lacey make the decisions and you be cautious." "Ay, ay, Judge," returned Dunham airily. CHAPTER III A RAILWAY TRIP The speculator on a large scale feels no more elated over the rescue of a fortune from anticipated loss than did Miss Lacey in the recovery of her one thousand dollars. In the expansion of ideas which it caused she determined to celebrate by taking a chair in the parlor car for Boston on Wednesday morning. John Dunham boarded the train just as it was pulling out of the station, and as he approached his seat suddenly heard himself greeted:—
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