"But why——" began Mrs. Harmon in some perplexity. Then she caught sight of her companion's expression. "What! you don't mean to say that you—you would?"
"Why not?" asked Ellis. "Is it so very strange?"
"You are over forty!" cried Mrs. Harmon.
"Nothing to do with the case," he replied shortly.
"N-no," agreed Mrs. Harmon slowly. "No, I believe not—not with Judith." She looked at her companion with sudden respect. "I believe you've hit upon it! I didn't know you thought of anything of the kind."
"I need you, just the same," said Ellis. "You will help me?"
"Yes, yes," she replied. She felt a nervous inclination to giggle. "It's a big affair."
"All the more credit if you engineer it," he answered, and shrewdly, for she felt stimulated. If she could engineer it! Then she could plume herself in the face of Mrs. Fenno, and would always have a strong ally in Judith.
"Yes," she cried eagerly, "it will mean a great deal to—to everybody if it happens. Why, I could——"
But Ellis would not let her run on. "Do you know her well?" he interrupted.