"You always answer my appeals for common justice," said Edith, with
unchanged coldness, "by some reference to my father. It seems to me
that if you had wished to vindicate his innocence, it would have been
better to do so while he was alive. If you had done so, it might have
been better for yourself in the end. But now these allusions are idle
and worse than useless. They have no effect on me whatever. I value them
at what they are worth."

With these words Edith rose and left the room. She returned to her own
apartments with a feeling of profound dejection and disappointment. Of
Wiggins she could make nothing. He promised, but his promises were too
vague to afford satisfaction.

Leon Dudleigh was away now, but would probably be back before long. As
she had failed with Wiggins, only one thing remained, and that was to
see Leon. She was resolved to meet him at once on his arrival, and
fight out once for all that battle which was inevitable between herself
and him.

* * * * *




CHAPTER XXXI.


THE IRREPRESSIBLE STRUGGLE.