第11章
Anditsochancedthatatthisincriminatingcrisisfortheson，thefatherhastilystrodewithinthelibrary。HehadbeenarousedbytheInspector"sshouting，andwasevidentlygreatlyperturbed。Hisusualdignifiedairwasmarredbyapatentalarm。
"What"sallthis？"heexclaimed，ashehaltedandstareddoubtfullyonthescenebeforehim。
Burke，inamomentlikethis，wasnorespecterofpersons，forallhisjudiciousattentionsonotheroccasionstothosewhoseinfluencemightservehimwellforbenefitsreceived。
"Youcanseeforyourself，"hesaidgrimlytothedumfoundedmagnate。Then，hefixedsinistereyesontheson。"So，"hewenton，withsombermenaceinhisvoice，"youdidit，youngman。"Henoddedtowardthedetective。"Well，Cassidy，youcantake"embothdown-town……That"sall。"
ThecommandarousedDicktoremonstranceagainstsuchindignitytowardthewomanwhomheloved。
"Nother!"hecried，imploringly。"Youdon"twanther，Inspector!Thisisallwrong!"
Now，atlast，Maryinterposedwithanewspirit。Shehadregained，insomemeasureatleast，herpoise。Shewasspeakingagainwiththatmentalclaritywhichwasdistinctiveinher。
"Dick，"sheadvisedquietly，butwithunderlyingurgencyinhergentlyspokenwords，"don"ttalk，please。"
Burkelaughedharshly。
"Whatdoyouexpect？"heinquiredtruculently。"Asamatteroffact，thething"ssimpleenough，youngman。EitheryoukilledGriggs，orshedid。"
TheInspector，withhischarge，madeacarelessgesturetowardthecorpseofthemurderedstool-pigeon。Forthefirsttime，EdwardGilder，ashisglanceunconsciouslyfollowedtheofficer"smovement，lookedandsawtheghastlyinanimateheapoffleshandbonethathadoncebeenaman。Hefairlyreeledatthegruesomespectacle，thenfumbledwithanoutstretchedhandashemovedstumblinglyuntilhelaidholdonachair，intowhichhesankhelplessly。Itsuddenlysmoteuponhisconsciousnessthathefeltveryoldandbroken。Hemarveleddullyoverthesensation——itwaswhollynewtohim。Then，soon，fromalongwayoff，heheardthestridentvoiceoftheInspectorremorselesslycontinuinginthevile，theimpossibleaccusation……Andthatgrotesqueaccusationwashurledagainsthisonlyson——theboywhomhesoloved。Thethingwasmonstrous，athingincredible。
Thiswholeseemingwasnomorethanachimeraofthenight，aphantomofbaddreams，withnotruthunderit……Yet，thesternvoiceoftheofficialcamewithastrangesemblanceofreality。
"Eitheryoukilledhim，"thevoicerepeatedgratingly，"orshedid。Well，then，youngman，didshekillhim？"
"GoodGod，no!"Dickshouted，aghast。
"Then，itwasyou!"SuchwastheInspector"ssummaryofthecase。
Mary"swordscamefrantically。Onceagain，shewasbecomedesperateoverthecourseofeventsinthisnightoffearfulhappenings。
"No，no!Hedidn"t!"
Burke"sraspingvoicereiteratedtheaccusationwithacertaincomplacencyintheinevitabilityofthedilemma。
"OneofyoukilledGriggs。Whichoneofyoudidit？"HescowledatDick。"Didshekillhim？"
Again，thehusband"scrycamewiththefiercenessofdespairoverthefateofthewoman。
"Itoldyou，no!"
TheInspector，alwayssavagelyimpressivenowinvoiceandlookandgesture，facedthegirlwithsaturninepersistence。
"Well，then，"heblustered，"didhekillhim？"
ThenodofhisheadwastowardDick。Then，assheremainedsilent:"I"mtalkingtoyou!"hesnapped。"Didhekillhim？"
Thereplycamewithasoftdistinctnessthatwaslikeacrashofdestiny。
"Yes。"
Dickturnedtohiswifeinreproachfulamazement。
"Mary!"hecried，incredulously。Thisbetrayalwassomethinginconceivablefromher，sincehebelievedthatnowatlastheknewherheart。
Burke，however，asusual，paidnoheedtothenicetiesofsentiment。Theyhadsmallplaceinhisconcernsasanofficialofpolice。Hissoleambitionjustnowwastofixthecrimedefinitelyontheperpetrator。
"You"llswearhekilledhim？"heasked，briskly，wellcontentwiththisconcreteresultoftheentanglement。
Marysubtlyevadedthequestion，whileseemingtogiveunqualifiedassent。
"Whynot？"sherespondedlistlessly。
Atthisintolerableassertionashedeemedit，EdwardGilderwasreanimated。Hesatrigidlyerectinhis，chair。Inthatfrightfulmoment，itcametohimanewthatherewasinveritythelastdetailinaconsummateschemebythiswomanforrevengeagainsthimself。
"God!"hecried，despairingly。"Andthat"syourvengeance!"
Maryheard，andunderstood。Therecameaninscrutablesmileonhercurvinglips，buttherewasnosatisfactioninthatsmile，asofonewhorealizedthefruitionoflong-cherishedschemesofretribution。Instead，therewasonlyaninfinitesadness，whileshespokeverygently。
"Idon"twantvengeance——now!"shesaid。
"Butthey"lltrymyboyformurder，"themagnateremonstrated，distraught。
"Oh，no，theycan"t!"cametherejoinder。Andnow，onceagain，therewasahintofthequizzicalcreepinginthesmile。"No，theycan"t!"sherepeatedfirmly，andtherewasprofoundreliefinhertonessinceatlastheringenuityhadfoundawayoutofthisoutrageoussituationthrustonherandonherhusband。
Burkeglaredatthespeakerinaragethatwasabruptlygrownsuspiciousinsomevagueway。
"What"sthereasonwecan"t？"hestormed。
Marysprangtoherfeet。Shewasradiantwithanewserenity，nowthatherquick-wittednesshaddiscoveredamethodforbafflingthemeshofevidencethathadbeenwovenaboutherandDickthroughnofaultoftheirown。Hereyeswereglowingwithevenmorethantheirusuallusters。Hervoicecamesoftlymodulated，almostmocking。
"Becauseyoucouldn"tconvicthim，"shesaidsuccinctly。A
contentedsmilebenttheredgracesofherlips。
Burkesneeredanindignationthatwas，nevertheless，somewhatfearfulofwhatmightliebehindthewoman"sassurance。
"What"sthereason？"hedemanded，scornfully。"There"sthebody。"Hepointedtotherigidformofthedeadman，lyingtheresoverynearthem。"Andthegunwasfoundonhim。Andthen，you"rewillingtoswearthathekilledhim……Well，Iguesswe"llconvicthim，allright。Whynot？"
Mary"sanswerwasgivenquietly，but，nonetheless，withanassurancethatcouldnotbegainsaid。
"Because，"shesaid，"myhusbandmerelykilledaburglar。"Inherturn，shepointedtowardthebodyofthedeadman。"Thatman，"shecontinuedevenly，"wastheburglar。Youknowthat!Myhusbandshothimindefenseofhishome!"Therewasabriefsilence。Then，sheadded，withawonderfulmildnessinthemusicofhervoice。"Andso，Inspector，asyouknowofcourse，hewaswithinthelaw!"
CHAPTERXX。WHOSHOTGRIGGS？
Inhisofficenextmorning，InspectorBurkewasfumingoverthefailureofhisconspiracy。Hehadhopedthroughthisplottovindicatehisauthority，sosadlyflauntedbyGarsonandMaryTurner。Insteadofthismuch-to-be-desiredresultfromhisscheming，theoutcomehadbeennothinglessthandisastrous。Theonecertainfactwasthathismostvaluableallyinhiswarfareagainstthecriminalsofthecityhadbeendonetodeath。SomeonehadmurderedGriggs，thestool-pigeon。WhereBurkehadmeanttoserveamanofhighinfluence，EdwardGilder，byrailroadingthebrideofthemagnate"ssontoprison，hehadsucceededonlyinmakingthetroubleofthatmerchantprincevastlyworseintheendingoftheaffairbyarrestingthesonforthecapitalcrimeofmurder。Thesituationwas，inverytruth，intolerable。Morethanever，Burkegrewhotwithintenttoovercomethewomanwhohadsopersistentlyoutragedhisauthoritybyheringeniousdevicesagainstthelaw。Anyhow，themurderofGriggscouldnotgounpunished。Theslayer"sidentitymustbedetermined，andthereaftertheduepenaltyofthelawinflicted，whoevertheguiltypersonmightprovetobe。Tothediscoveryofthisidentity，theInspectorwasatthepresentmomentdevotinghimselfbyadroitquestioningofDaceyandChicagoRed，whohadbeenarrestedinoneoftheiraccustomedhauntsbyhismenashorttimebefore。
Thepolicemanondutyatthedoorwastheonlyotherpersonintheroom，andinconsequenceBurkepermittedhimself，quiteunashamed，toemploythosemethodsofpersuasionwhichhaverisentoahighdegreeofadmirationinpolicecircles。
"Comeacrossnow!"headmonished。HisvoicerolledforthlikethatofabullofBashan。Hewasonhisfeet，facingthetwothieves。Hisheadwasthrustforwardmenacingly，andhiseyesweresavage。Thetwomenshrankbeforehim——bothinnaturalfear，and，too，inafurtivepolicyoftheirown。Thiswasnooccasionforthemtoassertapersonalprideagainstthemanwhohadtheminhistoils。
"Idon"tknownothin"!"ChicagoRed"svoicewasbetweenasnarlandawhine。"Ain"tIbeentellingyouthatforoveranhour？"
Burkevouchsafednoanswerinspeech，butwithanimblenesssurprisinginoneofhisbulk，gaveDacey，whochancedtobethenearerofthetwo，ashovethatsentthefellowstaggeringhalf-wayacrosstheroomunderitsimpetus。
Withthisbywayofappreciableintroductiontohisseriousnessofpurpose，Burkeputaquestion:
"Dacey，howlonghaveyoubeenout？"
Theanswercameinasibilantwhisperofdread。
"Aweek。"
Burkepushedtheimplicationbrutally。
"Wanttogobackforanotherstretch？"TheInspector"svoicewasfreightedwithsuggestionsofdisasterstocome，whichwerewellunderstoodbythecringingwretchbeforehim。
Thethiefshuddered，andhisface，alreadypallidfromtheprisonlackofsunlightlikesomenoxiousgrowthofacellar，becamelivid。Hiswordscameinamuffledmoanoffear。
"God，no!"
Burkeleftalittleintervalofsilencetheninwhichthethievesmighttrembleovertheprospectsuggestedbyhiswords，butalwayshemaintainedhissteady，relentlessglareonthecowedcreatures。Itwasafamiliarwarfarewithhim。Yet，inthisinstance，hewasdestinedtofailure，forthemenwereofatypedifferentfromthatofEnglishEddie，whowaslyingdeadasthemeetrewardfortreacherytohisfellows……When，atlast，hisquestionissuedfromtheclose-shutlips，itcamelikethecrackofagun。
"WhoshotGriggs？"
Thereplywasachorusfromthetwo:
"Idon"tknow——honest，Idon"t!"
Inhiseagerness，ChicagoRedmovedtowardhisquestioner——unwisely。
"HonesttoGawd，Idon"tknownothin"aboutit!"
TheInspector"sfistshotouttowardChicagoRed"sjaw。Theimpactwasenough。Thethiefwenttohiskneesundertheblow。
"Now，getup——andtalk!"Burke"svoicecamewithunrepentantnoisinessagainstthestrickenman。
Cringingly，ChicagoRed，whosogloriedinhisstrength，yetwasnowaltogetherhumbleinthisprecariouscase，obeyedasfarasthegettingtohisfeetwasconcerned……Itneveroccurredtohimeventhatheshouldcarryhisobediencetothepointof"squealingonapal!"Hadthecircumstancesbeendifferent，hemighthaverefusedtoaccepttheInspector"sblowwithsuchmeekness，sinceaboveallthingshelovedabitofbodilystrifewithsomeonenearhisownstrength，andtheInspectorwasofasorttoofferhimabattleworthwhile。
So，now，whilehegotslowlytohisfeet，hetookcaretokeepatarespectfuldistancefromtheofficial，thoughhisbighandsfairlyachedtodoubleintofistsforblowswiththismanwhohadsomaltreatedhim。
Hisownself-respect，ofitspeculiarsort，wassavedbytheinterferenceofCassidy，whoenteredtheInspector"sofficetoannouncethearrivaloftheDistrictAttorney。
"Send"imin，"Burkedirectedatonce。Hemadeagesturetowardthedoorman，andadded:"Take"emback!"
Agrinofevilhumorwrithedthelipsofthepoliceofficial，andheaddedtotheattentivedoormanawordofdirectionthatmightwellbeinterpretedbythemalevolentexpressiononhisface。
"Don"tberoughwith"em，Dan，"hesaid。Foronce，hisdominatingvoicewasreducedtosomethingapproachingsoftness，inhissardonicappreciationofhisownhumorintheconceptionofwhatthesetwomen，whohadventuredtoresisthisimportunities，mightreceiveatthehandsofhisfaithfulsatellites……Thedoormangrinnedappreciatively，andherdedhisvictimsfromtheplace。Andthetwowentshamblinglyinsureknowledgeofthethingsthatwereinstore。Yet，withoutthoughtoftreachery。Theywouldnot"squeal"!AlltheywouldtellofthedeathofEddieGriggswouldbe:"Hegotwhatwascomingtohim!"
TheInspectordroppedintohisswivelchairatthedeskwhilstheawaitedthearrivalofDemarest，theDistrictAttorney。Thegreetingsbetweenthetwowerecordialwhenatlastthepublicprosecutormadehisappearance。
"IcameassoonasIgotyourmessage，"theDistrictAttorneysaid，asheseatedhimselfinachairbythedesk。"AndI"vesentwordtoMr。Gilder……Now，then，Burke，let"shavethisthingquickly。"
TheInspector"sexplanationwasconcise:
"JoeGarson，ChicagoRed，andDacey，alongwithGriggs，brokeintoEdwardGilder"shouse，lastnight!Iknewthetrickwasgoingtobepulledoff，andsoIplantedCassidyandacoupleofothermenjustoutsidetheroomwherethehaulwastobemade。
Then，Iwentaway，andaftersomethinglikehalfanhourIcamebacktomakethearrestsmyself。"AlookofintensedisgustspreaditselfovertheInspector"smassiveface。"Well，"heconcludedsheepishly，"whenIbrokeintotheroomIfoundyoungGilderalongwiththatTurnerwomanhemarried，andtheywerejusttalkingtogether。"
"Notraceoftheothers？"Demarestquestionedcrisply。
Attheinquiry，Burke"sfacecrimsonedangrily，thenagainsetingrimlines。
"IfoundGriggslyingonthefloor——dead!"Onceagainthedisgustshowedinhisexpression。"TheTurnerwomansaysyoungGildershotGriggsbecausehebrokeintothehouse。Ain"tthatthelimit？"
"Whatdoestheboysay？"theDistrictAttorneydemanded。
Burkeshookhisheaddispiritedly。
"Nothing，"heanswered。"Shetoldhimnottotalk，andso，ofcourse，hewon"t，he"ssuchafooloverher。"
"Andwhatdoesshesay？"Demarestasked。HefoundhimselfratheramusedbytheexceedingchagrinoftheInspectoroverthisaffair。
Burke"svoicegrewsavageashesnappedareply。
"Refusestotalktillsheseesalawyer。Butatouchofcheerfulnessappearedinhistonesasheproceeded。"We"vegotChicagoRedandDacey，andwe"llhaveGarsonbeforetheday"sover。And，oh，yes，they"vepickedupayounggirlattheTurnerwoman"splace。Andwe"vegotonerealclue——foronce!"Thespeaker"sexpressionwassuddenlytriumphant。Heopenedadrawerofthedesk，andtookoutGarson"spistol，towhichthesilencerwasstillattached。
"Youneversawagunlikethatbefore，eh？"heexclaimed。
Demarestadmittedthefactafteracuriousexamination。
"I"llbetyouneverdid!"Burkecried，withsatisfaction。"ThatthingontheendisaMaximsilencer。Therearethousandsoftheminuseonrifles，butthey"veneverbeenabletousethemonrevolversbefore。Thisisaspeciallymadegun，"hewentonadmiringly，ashetookitbackandslippeditintoapocketofhiscoat。"Thatthingisabsolutelynoiseless。I"vetriedit。
Well，yousee，it"llbeaneasything——easiestthingintheworld!——totracethatsilencerattachment。Cassidy"sworkingonthatendofthethingnow。"
Forafewminuteslonger，thetwomendiscussedthedetailsofthecrime，theorizingoverthebafflingevent。Then，presently，Cassidyenteredtheoffice，andmadereportofhisinvestigationsconcerningthepistolwiththesilencerattachment。
"IgotthefactoryatHartfordonthewire，"heexplained，"andtheygavemeMr。Maximhimself，theinventorofthesilencer。Hesaidthiswassurelyaspecialgun，whichwasmadefortheuseofHenrySylvester，oneoftheprofessorsatYale。Hewanteditfordemonstrationpurposes。Mr。Maximsaidthethingshaveneverbeenputonthemarket，andthattheyneverwillbe。"
"Forhumanereasons，"Demarestcommented，noddingapprobation。
"Goodthing，too!"Burkeconceded。"They"dmakemurdertoodevilisheasy，andit"seasyenoughnow……Well，Cassidy？"
"Igotholdofthisman，Sylvester，"Cassidywenton。"Ihadhimonthe"phone，too。Hesaysthathishousewasrobbedabouteightweeksago，andamongotherthingsthesilencerwasstolen。"
Cassidypaused，andchuckleddrily。"HeaddsthestartlinginformationthattheNewHavenpolicehavenotbeenabletorecoveranyofthestolenproperty。Themrubecopsareimmense!"
Demarestsmiledslyly，asthedetective，atanodfromhissuperior，wenttowardthedoor。
"No，"hesaid，maliciously；"onlytheNewYorkpolicerecoverstolengoods。"
"Good-night!"quothCassidy，turningatthedoor，inadmissionofhisdiscomfitureoverthethrust，whileBurkehimselfgrinnedwrylyinappreciationofthegibe。
Demarestgrewgraveagain，asheputthequestionthatwastroublinghimmost。
"IsthereanychancethatyoungGilderdidshootGriggs？"
"Youcansearchme!"theInspectoranswered，disconsolately。"MymenwerejustoutsidethedooroftheroomwhereEddieGriggswasshottodeath，andnoneof"emheardasound。It"sthatinfernalsilencerthing。Ofcourse，Iknowthatallthegangwasinthehouse。"
"Buttellmejusthowyouknowthatfact，"Demarestobjectedverycrisply。"Didyouseethemgoin？"
"No，Ididn"t，"theInspectoradmitted，tartly。"ButGriggs——"
Demarestpermittedhimselfasneerbornoflegalknowledge。
"Griggsisdead，Burke。You"reupagainstit。Youcan"tprovethatGarson，orChicagoRed，orDacey，everenteredthathouse。"
TheInspectorscowledoverthispositivestatement。
"ButGriggssaidtheyweregoingto，"heargued。
"Iknow，"Demarestagreed，withanexasperatingairofshrewdness；"butGriggsisdead。Yousee，Burke，youcouldn"tinatrialevenrepeatwhathetoldyou。It"snotpermissibleevidence。"
"Oh，thelaw!"theInspectorsnorted，withmuchcholer。"Well，then，"hewentonbelligerently，"I"llchargeyoungGilderwithmurder，andcalltheTurnerwomanasawitness。"
TheDistrictAttorneylaughedaloudoverthisproject。
"Youcan"tquestionheronthewitness-stand，"heexplainedpatronizinglytothebadgeredpoliceofficial。"Thelawdoesn"tallowyoutomakeawifetestifyagainstherhusband。And，what"smore，youcan"tarresther，andthenforcehertogointothewitness-stand，either。No，Burke，"heconcludedemphatically，"youronlychanceofgettingthemurdererofGriggsisbyaconfession。"
"Then，I"llchargethembothwiththemurder，"theInspectorgrowledvindictively。"And，byGod，they"llbothgototrialunlesssomebodycomesthrough。"Hebroughthishugefistdownonthedeskwithviolence，andhisvoicewasforbidding。"Ifit"smylastactonearth，"hedeclared，"I"mgoingtogetthemanwhoshotEddieGriggs。"
Demarestwasseriouslydisturbedbythesituationthathaddeveloped。HewasundergreatpersonalobligationstoEdwardGilder，whoseinfluenceinfacthadbeentheprimecauseofhissuccessinattainingtotheimportantofficialpositionhenowheld，andhewouldhavegonefartoservethemagnateinanydifficultythatmightarise。Hehadbeenperfectlywillingtoemployalltheresourcesofhisofficetorelievethesonfromtheentanglementwithawomanofunsavorynotoriety。Now，thankstothemiscarriedplottingofBurketothelikeend，whatbeforehadbeenmerelyaviciousstateofaffairswasbecomeoneoftheutmostdreadfulness。TheworstofcrimeshadbeencommittedinthehouseofEdwardGilderhimself，andhissonacknowledgedhimselfasthemurderer。
TheDistrictAttorneyfeltagenuinesorrowinthinkingoftheanguishthiseventmusthavebroughtonthefather。Hehad，aswell，sympathyenoughfortheson。Hisacquaintancewiththeyoungmanconvincedhimthattheboyhadnotdonethedeedofbloodyviolence。Inthatfactwasaminglingofcomfortandofanxiety。Ithadbeenbetter，doubtless，ifindeedDickhadshotGriggs，hadindictedajustpenaltyonahousebreaker。ButtheDistrictAttorneywasnotinclinedtocredittheconfession。Burke"saccountoftheplotinwhichthestool-pigeonhadbeentheagentofferedtoomanycomplications。Altogether，theaspectofthecaseservedtoindicatethatDickcouldnothavebeentheslayer……Demarestshookhisheaddejectedly。
"Burke，"hesaid，"Iwanttheboytogofree。Idon"tbelieveforaminutethatDickGildereverkilledthispetstool-pigeonofyours。And，so，youmustunderstandthis:Iwanthimtogofree，ofcourse。"
Burkefrownedrefusalatthissuggestion。Herewasamatterinwhichhisrightsmustnotbeinvaded。He，too，wouldhavegonefartoserveamanofEdwardGilder"sstanding，butinthisinstancehisprofessionalpridewasinrevolt。Hehadbeendefied，trapped，madeavictimofthegangwhohadkilledhismostvaluedinformer。
"Theyoungster"llgofreewhenhetellswhatheknows，"hesaidangrily，"andnotaminutebefore。"Hisexpressionlightenedalittle。"Perhapstheoldgentlemancanmakehimtalk。Ican"t。
He"sunderthatwoman"sthumb，ofcourse，andshe"stoldhimhemustn"tsayaword。So，hedon"t。"Agrinofhalf-embarrassedappreciationmovedtheheavyjawsasheglancedattheDistrictAttorney。"Yousee，"heexplained，"Ican"tmakehimtalk，butI
mightifcircumstancesweredifferent。Onaccountofhisbeingtheoldman"sson，I"malittlecrampedinmystyle。"
Itwas，intruth，onethingtobrowbeatandassaultaconvictlikeDaceyorChicagoRed，butquiteanothertoemploythelikeviolenceagainstayouthofDickGilder"spositionintheworld。
Demarestunderstoodperfectly，buthewasinclinedtobescepticalovertheInspector"stheorythatDickpossessedactualcognizanceastothekillingofGriggs。
"YouthinkthatyoungGilderreallyknows？"hequestioned，doubtfully。
"Idon"tthinkanything——yet!"Burkeretorted。"AllIknowisthis:EddieGriggs，themostvaluablecrookthateverworkedforme，hasbeenmurdered。"Theofficial"svoicewaschargedwiththreateningashewenton。"Andsomeone，manorwoman，isgoingtopayforit!"
"Woman？"Demarestrepeated，insomeastonishment。
Burke"svoicecamemerciless。
"Imean，MaryTurner，"hesaidslowly。
Demarestwasshocked。
"But，Burke，"heexpostulated，"she"snotthatsort。"TheInspectorsneeredopenly。
"Howdoyouknowsheain"t？"hedemanded。"Well，anyhow，she"smadeamonkeyoutofthePoliceDepartment，and，first，last，andallthetime，I"macopper……Andthatremindsme，"hewentonwitharesumptionofhisusualcurtbluntness，"IwantyoutowaitforMr。Gilderoutside，whileIgetbusywiththegirlthey"vebroughtdownfromMaryTurner"sflat。"
CHAPTERXXI。AGGIEATBAY。
Burke，afterthelawyerhadlefthim，watchedthedoorexpectantlyforthecomingofthegirl，whomhehadorderedbroughtbeforehim。But，whenatlastDanappeared，andstoodasidetopermitherpassingintotheoffice，theInspectorgaspedattheunexpectednessofthevision。Hehadanticipatedthecomingofawomanofthatworldwithwhichhewasmostfamiliarintheexerciseofhisprofessionalduties——theunderworldofcriminals，someonebeautifulperhaps，butwiththebrandofviciousnessmarkedsubtly，yetvisiblyforthetrainedeyetosee。Then，eveninthatfirstmoment，hetoldhimselfthatheshouldhavebeenpreparedfortheunusualinthisinstance，sincethegirlhadtodowithMaryTurner，andthatdisturbingpersonherselfshowedinfaceandformandmannernothingtosuggestaughtbutagentlewoman。And，inthenextinstant，theInspectorforgothissurpriseinasincere，almostardentadmiration。
Thegirlwasrathershort，butofaslendereleganceofformthatwasravishing。Shewasgowned，too，withachicnicetytoarousetheenvyofallless-fortunatewomen。Hercostumehadaboutitanindubitableair，afinalityofperfectioninitskind。Onanother，itmighthaveappearedperhapsthemeresttriflegarish。
Butthatfault，ifinfactiteverexisted，wasmadeintoavirtuebythecorrectinginnocenceofthegirl"sface。Itwasachildishface，childishintheexquisitesmoothnessofthesoft，pinkskin，childishinthewonderingstareoftheblueeyes，nowsowidelyopenedindismay，childishinthewistfuldroopingoftherosebudmouth。
Thegirladvancedslowly，withalaggardhesitationinhermovementsobviouslyfromfear。Sheapproachedthedesk，frombehindwhichtheInspectorwatched，fascinatedbythefreshandwholesomebeautyofthisyoungcreature。Hefailedtoobservetheunderlyingangerbeneaththegirl"soutwarddisplayofalarm。
Heshookoffhisfirstimpressionbymeansofaresorttohiscustomaryblusterinsuchcases。
"Now，then，mygirl，"hesaidroughly，"Iwanttoknow——"
Therecameachange，wroughtinthetwinklingofaneye。Thetiny，trimlyshodfootofthegirlroseandfellinawrathfulstamp。
"Howdareyou!"Theclearblueeyeswerebecomedarkenedwithanger。Therewasadeepenedleafofredineithercheek。Thedroopinglipsdroopednolonger，butwerebenttoahaughtinessthatwasfinelyimpressive。
Beforetheoffendedindignationoftheyoungwoman，Burkesatbewilderedbyembarrassmentforonceinhislife，andquiteataloss。
"What"sthat？"hesaid，dubiously。
Thegirlexplainedthematterexplicitlyenough。
"Whatdoyoumeanbythisoutrage？"shestormed。Hervoicewaslowandrich，withacharmingroundnessthatseemedtheveryhallmarkofgentility。But，now，itwassurchargedwithanindignantamazementovertheindignityputuponherbytherepresentativesofthelaw。Then，abruptly，theblueeyesweresoftenedintheirfires，asbythesuddennearnessoftears。
"Whatdoyoumean？"thegirlrepeated。Herslimformwastensewithwrath。"Idemandmyinstantrelease。"Therewasindescribablerebukeinherslowemphasisofthewords。
Burkewasimpressedinspiteofhimself，inspiteofhisaccustomedcoldindifferencetothefeelingsofothersasnecessitycompelledhimtomakeinvestigationofthem。Hisharsh，blusteringvoicesoftenedperceptibly，andhespokeinawheedlingtone，suchasonemightemployintheefforttotranquillizeaspoiledchildinafitoftemper。
"Waitaminute，"heremonstrated。"Waitaminute!"Hemadeapacificallycourteousgesturetowardoneofthechairs，whichstoodbyanendofthedesk。"Sitdown，"heinvited，withanefforttowardcajoling。
Thescornofthegirlwassuperb。Hervoicecameicily，assheanswered:
"Ishalldonothingofthesort。Sitdown，indeed!——here!Why，I
havebeenarrested——"Therecameabreakinthemusicofhertonesthrobbingresentment。Alittlesobcreptin，andbrokethesequenceofwords。Thedaintyfacewasvividwithshame。"I——"
shefaltered，"I"vebeenarrested——byacommonpoliceman!"
TheInspectorseizedontheoneflawlefthimfordefenseagainstherindictment。
"No，no，miss，"heargued，earnestly。"Excuseme。Itwasn"tanycommonpoliceman——itwasadetectivesergeant。"
Buthisefforttoplacatewasquiteinvain。Theingenuouslittlebeautywiththechild"sfaceandtheblueeyessowidelyopenedfairlypantedinherrevoltagainsttheignominyofherposition，andwasnottobesoeasilyappeased。Hervoicecamevibrantwithdisdain。HerlevelgazeontheInspectorwasofasorttosuggesttohimanxietiesoverpossiblecomplicationshere。
"Youwait!"shecriedviolently。"Youjustwait，Itellyou，untilmypapahearsofthis!"
Burkeregardedthefuriousgirldoubtfully。
"Whoisyourpapa？"heasked，withabitofalarmstirringinhisbreast，forhehadnomindtooffendanyoneofimportancewheretherewasnoneed。
"Isha"n"ttellyou，"camethepetulantretortfromthegirl。
Herivoryforeheadwaswrinkledcharminglyinalittlefrownofobstinacy。"Why，"shewenton，displayingnewsymptomsofdistressoveranotherappallingideathatflashedonherinthismoment，"youwouldprobablygivemynametothereporters。"Onceagaintherosebudmouthdroopedintocurvesofsorrow，ofagreatself-pity。"Ifitevergotintothenewspapers，myfamilywoulddieofshame!"
Thepathosofherfearpiercedthroughthehardenedcrustofthepoliceofficial。Hespokeapologetically。
"Now，theeasiestwayoutforbothofus，"hesuggested，"isforyoutotellmejustwhoyouare。Yousee，younglady，youwerefoundinthehouseofanotoriouscrook。"
Thehaughtinessofthegirlwaxed。ItseemedasifshegrewaninchtallerinherscornoftheInspector"ssaying。
"Howperfectlyabsurd!"sheexclaimed，scathingly。"IwascallingonMissMaryTurner!"
"Howdidyoucometomeether，anyhow？"Burkeinquired。Hestillheldhisbigvoicetoasoftermodulationthanthattowhichitwashabituated。
Yet，thedisdainofthegirlseemedonlytoincreasemomently。
Sheshowedplainlythatsheregardedthisbrass-buttonedofficialasoneunbearablyinsolentinhisdemeanortowardher。
Nevertheless，shecondescendedtoreply，withanexaggerationofthearistocraticdrawltoindicateherdispleasure。
"IwasintroducedtoMissTurner，"sheexplained，"byMr。RichardGilder。Perhapsyouhaveheardofhisfather，theowneroftheEmporium。"
"Oh，yes，I"veheardofhisfather，andofhim，too，"Burkeadmitted，placatingly。
Butthegirlrelaxednotawhitinherattitudeofoffense。
"Then，"shewentonseverely，"youmustseeatoncethatyouareentirelymistakeninthismatter。"HerblueeyeswidenedfurtherasshestaredaccusinglyattheInspector，whobetrayedevidencesofperplexity，andhesitatedforananswer。Then，thedoll-like，charmingfacetookonasofterlook，whichhadinitasuggestionofappeal。
"Don"tyouseeit？"shedemanded。
"Well，no，"Burkerejoineduneasily；"notexactly，Idon"t!"Inthepresenceofthisdelicateandgracefulfemininity，heexperiencedasudden，noveldistasteforhisusualsledge-hammermethodsofattackininterrogation。Yet，hisdutyrequiredthatheshouldcontinuehisquestioning。Hefoundhimselfinfactbetweenthedevilandthedeepsea——thoughthisparticulardevilappearedratherasanangeloflight。
Now，athissomewhatfeebleremarkinreplytoherquery，thechildishfacegrewashardasitscurvingcontourswouldpermit。
"Sir!"shecriedindignantly。Herlittleheadwasthrownbackinscornfulreproof，andsheturnedashouldertowardtheofficialcontemptuously。
"Now，now!"Burkeexclaimedinremonstrance。Afterall，hecouldnotbebrutalwiththisguilelessmaiden。Hemust，however，makethesituationcleartoher，lestshethinkhimabeast——whichwouldneverdo!
"Yousee，younglady，"hewentonwithagentlenessofvoiceandmannerthatwouldhavebeeninconceivabletoDaceyandChicagoRed；"yousee，thefactisthat，evenifyouwereintroducedtothisMaryTurnerbyyoungMr。Gilder，thissameMaryTurnerherselfisanex-convict，andshe"sjustbeenarrestedformurder。"
Atthedreadword，astartlingchangewaswroughtinthegirl。
ShewheeledtofacetheInspector，herslenderbodyswayingalittletowardhim。Theratherheavybrowswereliftedslightlyinadisbelievingstare。Theredlipswereparted，roundedtoatremuloushorror。
"Murder!"shegasped；andthenwassilent。
"Yes，"Burkewenton，whollyateasenow，sincehehadbrokentheicethuseffectually。"Yousee，ifthere"samistakeaboutyou，youdon"twantittogoanyfurther——notamitefurther，that"ssure。So，yousee，now，that"soneofthereasonswhyImustknowjustwhoyouare。"Then，inhisturn，Burkeputthequerythatthegirlhadputtohimalittlewhilebefore。"Youseethat，don"tyou？"
"Oh，yes，yes!"wastheinstantagreement。"Youshouldhavetoldmeallaboutthishorridthinginthefirstplace。"Now，thegirl"smannerwastransformed。ShesmiledwistfullyontheInspector，andtheglanceoftheblueeyeswasverykind，subtlyalluring。Yetinthisunbending，thereappearedevenmoredecisivelythanhithertothefinequalitiesinbearingofonedelicatelynurtured。Shesankdowninachairbythedesk，andforthwithspokewithasimplicitythatinitselfwassomehowpeculiarlypotentinitseffectontheofficialwhogaveattentiveear。
"MynameisHelenTraversWest，"sheannounced。
Burkestartedalittleinhisseat，andregardedthespeakerwithanewdeferenceasheheardthatnameuttered。
"Notthedaughteroftherailwaypresident？"heinquired。
"Yes，"thegirladmitted。Then，anew，shedisplayedaseriousagitationoverthethoughtofanypossiblepublicityinthisaffair。
"Oh，please，don"ttellanyone，"shebeggedprettily。Theblueeyeswereveryimploring，beguiling，too。Thetimidsmilethatwreathedthetinymouthwasmarvelouslywinning。Theneatlyglovedlittlehandswereheldoutstretched，claspedinsupplication。"Surely，sir，youseenowquiteplainlywhyitmustneverbeknownbyanyoneinallthewide，wideworldthatI
haveeverbeenbroughttothisperfectlydreadfulplace——thoughyouhavebeenquitenice!"Hervoicedroppedtoanoteofmusicalprayerfulness。Thewordswerespokenverysoftlyandveryslowly，withintonationsdifficultforamantodeny。"Pleaseletmegohome。"Shepluckedaminutehandkerchieffromherhandbag，putittohereyes，andbegantosobquietly。
TheburlyInspectorofPolicewasmovedtoquicksympathy。
Really，whenallwassaidanddone，itwasashamethatonelikehershouldbysomefreakoffatehavebecomeinvolvedinthesordid，viciousthingsthathisprofessionmadeitobligatoryonhimtoinvestigate。Therewasaconsiderablehintofthepaternalinhisairashemadeanattempttoofferconsolationtotheafflicteddamsel。
"That"sallright，littlelady，"heexclaimedcheerfully。"Now，don"tyoubeworried——notalittlebit。Takeitfromme，MissWest……Justgoahead，andtellmeallyouknowaboutthisTurnerwoman。Didyouseeheryesterday？"
Thegirl"ssobsceased。Afterafinaldabwiththeminutehandkerchief，sheleanedforwardalittletowardtheInspector，andproceededtoputaquestiontohimwithgreateagerness。
"WillyouletmegohomeassoonasI"vetoldyoutheteensylittleIknow？"
"Yes，"Burkeagreedpromptly，withanencouragingsmile。Andforagoodmeasureofreassurance，headdedasonemighttoanalarmedchild:"Nooneisgoingtohurtyou，younglady。"
"Well，then，yousee，itwasthisway，"beganthebriskexplanation。"Mr。Gilderwascallingonmeoneafternoon，andhesaidtomethenthatheknewaverycharmingyoungwoman，who——"
Herethespeechendedabruptly，andonceagainthehandkerchiefwasbroughtintoplayasthesobbingbrokeforthwithincreasedviolence。Presently，thegirl"svoiceroseinawail。
"Oh，thisisdreadful——dreadful!"Inthefinalword，thewailbroketoamoan。
Burkefelthimselfvaguelyguiltyasthecauseofsuchsufferingonthepartofonesoyoung，sofair，soinnocent。Asaculprit，hesoughthisbesttoaffordameasureofsoothingforthisgriefthathadhaditssourceinhisperformanceofduty。