Judge Gaylor swung upon his heel.

"Certainly not," he retorted angrily. "I was here on business,
and I have never known his mind more capable, more alert." He
lifted his hands with an enthusiastic gesture. "I wish you could
have seen him!"

"Well," urged Irving, "how about our seeing him now?"

For a moment Judge Gaylor permitted his annoyance to appear, but
he at once recovered and, murmuring cheerfully, "Certainly,
certainly; I'll try to arrange it," turned to the butler who had
re-entered the room.

"Garett," he inquired, "is Mr. Hallowell awake yet?" As he asked
the question his eyebrows rose; with an almost imperceptible
shake of the head he signaled for an answer in the negative.

"Well, there you are!" the Judge exclaimed heartily. "I can't
wake him, even to oblige you. In a word, gentlemen, Stephen
Hallowell has never been in better health, mentally and bodily.
You can say that from me -- and that's all there is to say."

"Then, we can say," persisted Irving, "that you say, that
Walsh's story is a fake?"

"You can say it is not true," corrected Gaylor. "That's all,
gentlemen." The audience was at an end. The young men moved
toward the hall and Judge Gaylor turned to the bedroom. As he