There was Lady Maud, with her clear eyes, her fearless ways, and her knowledge of the world and men, and she said that Van Torp was kind, and good to people in trouble and true to his friends.

Lord Creedmore, the intimate friend of Margaret's father, a barrister half his life, and as keen as a hawk, said that Mr.Van Torp was a very decent sort of man, and he evidently allowed his daughter to like the American.

It was true that a scandalous tale about Lady Maud and the millionaire was already going from mouth to mouth, but Margaret did not believe it.

If she had known that the facts were accurately told, whatever their meaning might be, she would have taken them for further evidence against the accused.

As for Miss More, she was guided by her duty to her employer, or her affection for little Ida, and she seemed to be of the charitable sort, who think no evil; but after what Lord Creedmore had said, Margaret had no doubt but that it was Mr.Van Torp who provided for the child, and if she was his daughter, the reason for Senator Moon's neglect of her was patent.
Then Margaret thought of Isidore Bamberger, the hard-working man of business who was Van Torp's right hand and figure-head, as Griggs had said, and who had divorced the beautiful, half-crazy mother of the two Idas because Van Torp had stolen her from him--Van Torp, his partner, and once his trusted friend.