第12章
"That"sallright，littlelady，"heurgedinavoiceasnearlymellifluousashecouldcontrivewithitsmightyvolume。"That"sallright。Ihavetokeepontellingyou。Nobody"sgoingtohurtyou——notalittlebit。Believeme!Why，nobodyeverwouldwanttohurtyou!"
Buthiswell-meantattempttoassuagethestrickencreature"swowasfutile。Thesobbingcontinued。Withitcameaplaintivecry，manytimesrepeated，softly，butverymiserably。
"Oh，dear!Oh，dear!"
"Isn"ttheresomethingelseyoucantellmeaboutthiswoman？"
Burkeinquiredindesperationbeforetheplaintiveoutburst。Hehopedtodistractherfromsuchgriefoverherpredicament。
Thegirlgavenoleastheedtothequestion。
"Oh，I"msofrightened!"shegasped。
"Tut，tut!"theInspectorchided。"Now，Itellyouthere"snothingatallforyoutobeafraidof。"
"I"mafraid!"thegirlasserteddismally。"I"mafraidyouwill——putme——inacell!"Hervoicesanktoamurmurhardlyaudibleasshespokethewordssofraughtwithdreadimporttooneofherrefinedsensibilities。
"Pooh!"Burkereturned，gallantly。"Why，mydearyounglady，nobodyintheworldcouldthinkofyouandacellatthesametime——no，indeed!"
Instantly，thegirlrespondedtothisbaldflattery。Shefairlyradiatedappreciationofthecompliment，assheturnedhereyes，dewywithtears，onthesomewhatflusteredInspector。
"Oh，thankyou!"sheexclaimed，withnaiveenjoyment。
Forthwith，Burkesetouttomakethemostofthisfavorableopportunity。
"Areyousureyou"vetoldmeallyouknowaboutthiswoman？"hequestioned。
"Oh，yes!I"veonlyseenhertwoorthreetimes，"camethereadyresponse。Thevoicechangedtosupplication，andagaintheclaspedhandswereextendedbeseechingly。
"Oh，please，Commissioner!Won"tyouletmegohome？"
TheuseofatitlehigherthanhisownflatteredtheInspector，andhewasmovedtograciousness。Besides，itwasobviousthathispolicenetinthisinstancehadenmeshedonlythemostharmlessofdoves。Hesmiledencouragingly。
"Well，now，littlelady，"hesaid，almosttenderly，"ifIletyougonow，willyoupromisetoletmeknowifyouareabletothinkofanythingelseaboutthisTurnerwoman？"
"Iwill——indeed，Iwill!"cametheferventassurance。Therewassomethingalmost——quiteprovocativeintheflashofgratitudethatshoneforthfromtheblueeyesofthegirlinthatmomentofhersuperlativerelief。ItmovedBurketoadesireforrehabilitationinherestimation。
"Now，yousee，"hewentoninhisheavyvoice，yetverykindly，andwithasortofmassiveplayfulnessinhismanner，"noonehashurtyou——notevenalittlebit，afterall。Now，yourunrighthometoyourmother。"
Thegirldidnotneedtobetoldtwice。Ontheinstant，shesprangupjoyously，andstartedtowardthedoor，withafinalravishingsmileforthepleasedofficialatthedesk。
"I"llgojustasfastaseverIcan，"themusicalvoicemadeassuranceblithely。
"Givemycomplimentstoyourfather，"Burkerequestedcourteously。"AndtellhimI"msorryIfrightenedyou。"
Thegirlturnedatthedoor……Afterall，toogreathastemightbeindiscreet。
"Iwill，Commissioner，"shepromised，withanarchsmile。"AndI
knowpapawillbesogratefultoyouforallyourkindnesstome!"
ItwasatthiscriticalmomentthatCassidyenteredfromtheoppositesideoftheoffice。Ashiseyesfellonthegirlatthedooracrossfromhim，hisstolidfacelightedinagrin。And，inthatsameinstantofrecognitionbetweenthetwo，thecolorwentoutofthegirl"sface。Thelittleredlipssnappedtogetherinalineofsupremedisgustagainstthisvicissitudeoffateafterallhermanoeuveringsinthefaceoftheenemy。Shestoodmotionlessinwordlessdismay，impotentbeforethisdisasterforcedonherbyuntowardchance。
"Hello，Aggie!"thedetectiveremarked，withasmirk，whiletheInspectorstaredfromonetotheotherwithroundedeyesofwonder，andhisjawdroppedfromthestarksurpriseofthisnewdevelopment。
ThegirlreturneddeliberatelytothechairshehadoccupiedthroughtheinterviewwiththeInspector，anddroppedintoitweakly。Herformrestedtherelimplynow，andtheblueeyesstareddisconsolatelyattheblankwallbeforeher。Sherealizedthatfatehaddecreeddefeatforherinthegame。Itwasafteraminuteofsilenceinwhichthetwomensatstaringthatatlastshespokewithasavagewrathagainstthepitintowhichshehadfallenafterherarduousefforts。
"Ain"tthatthedamnedestluck!"
Foralittleintervalstill，BurketurnedhisglancesfromthegirltoCassidy，andthenbackagaintothegirl，whosatimmobilewithherblueeyessteadfastlyfixedonthewall。Thepoliceofficialwas，intruth，totallybewildered。Herewasinexplicablemystery。Finally，headdressedthedetectivecurtly。
"Cassidy，doyouknowthiswoman？"
"Sure，Ido!"cametheplacidanswer。Hewentontoexplainwiththedirectbrevityofhiskind。"She"slittleAggieLynch——con"
woman，fromBuffalo——twoyearsforblackmail——didhertimeatBurnsing。"
Withthissuccinctnarrativeconcerningthegirlwhosatmuteandmotionlessinthechairwithhereyesfastonthewall，Cassidyrelapsedintosilence，duringwhichhestaredratherperplexedlyathischief，whoseemedtobeinthethroesofunusualemotion。
Asthedetectiveexpresseditinhisownvernacular:Forthefirsttimeinhisexperience，theInspectorappearedtobeactually"rattled。"
Foralittletime，therewassilence，thewhileBurkesatstaringattheavertedfaceofthegirl。Hisexpressionwasthatofonewhohasjustundergoneasoul-stirringshock。Then，presently，hesethisfeaturesgrimly，rosefromhischair，andwalkedtoapositiondirectlyinthefrontofthegirl，whostillrefusedtolookinhisdirection。
"Youngwoman——"hebegan，severely。Then，ofasuddenhelaughed。"Youpickedtherightbusiness，allright，allright!"
hesaid，withacertainenthusiasm。Helaughedalouduntilhiseyeswereonlyslits，andhisamplepaunchtrembledvehemently。
"Well，"hewenton，atlast，"Icertainlyhavetohandittoyou，kid。You"reabeaut"!"
Aggiesniffedvehementlyinrebukeofthegrosspartialityoffateinhisbehalf。
"JustasIhadhimgoin"!"shesaidbitterly，asifinself-communion，withoutshiftinghergazefromtheblanksurfaceofthewall。
Now，however，Burkewasremindedonceagainofhisofficialduties，andheturnedquicklytotheattentiveCassidy。
"Haveyougotapictureofthisyoungwoman？"heaskedbrusquely。AndwhenCassidyhadrepliedinthenegative，heagainfacedtheadventuresswithamockinggrin——inwhichmockery，too，wasafairfragmentforhimself，whohadbeensothoroughlywithinhertoilsofblandishment。
"I"ddearlylovetohaveaphotographofyou，MissHelenTraversWest，"hesaid。
Thespeecharousedthestoliddetectivetoanewinterest。
"HelenTraversWest？"herepeated，inquiringly。
"Oh，that"sthenameshetoldme，"theInspectorexplained，somewhatshamefacedlybeforethisquestionfromhisinferior。
Thenhechuckled，forhehadsenseofhumorsufficienttotriumphevenoverhisowndiscomfitureinthisencounter。"Andshehadmewinging，too!"heconfessed。"Yes，Iadmitit。"Heturnedtothegirladmiringly。"Yousureareimmense，littleone——immense!"Hesmiledsomewhatmoreinhisofficialmannerofmastery。"Andnow，mayIhavethehonorofaskingyoutoaccepttheescortofMr。Cassidytoourgallery。"
AggiesprangtoherfeetandregardedtheInspectorwitheyesinwhichwasnownoinnocence，suchashadbeguiledhimsorecentlyfromthoseingenuousorbs。
"Oh，canthatstuff!"shecried，crossly。"Let"sgetdowntobusinessonthedot——andnofrillsonit!Keeptocases!"
"Nowyou"retalking，"Burkedeclared，withanewappreciationoftheversatilityofthiswoman——whohadnotbeenwastinghertimehitherto，andhadnowishtoloseitnow。
"Youcan"tdoanythingtous，"Aggiedeclared，strongly。ThereremainednotraceoftheshrinkingvioletthathadbeenMissHelenTraversWest。Now，sherevealedmerelythebusinesswomanengagedinafightagainstthelaw，whichwasopposeddefinitelytoherpeculiarformofbusiness。
"Youcan"tdoanythingtome，andyouknowyoucan"t!"shewenton，withanalmostconvincingtranquillityofassertion。"Why，I"llbesprunginsideanhour。"TherecamearippleoflaughterthatremindedtheInspectorofthefashioninwhichhehadbeenovercomebythiswoman"swiles。Andshespokewithacertitudeofconvictionthatwasratherterrifyingtoonewhohadjustfallenunderthestressofherspells。
"Why，habeascorpusismylawyer"smiddlename!"
"Onthelevel，now，"theInspectordemanded，quiteunmovedbythefinaldeclarations，"whendidyouseeMaryTurnerlast？"
Aggieresortedanewtoherpracticesofdeception。Hervoiceheldtheaccentsofunimpeachabletruth，andhereyeslookedunflinchinglyintothoseofherquestionerassheanswered。
"Earlythismorning，"shedeclared。"Weslepttogetherlastnight，becauseIhadthewillies。Sheblewthejointabouthalf-pastten。"
Burkeshookhishead，moreinsorrowthaninanger。
"What"stheuseofyourlyingtome？"heremonstrated。
"What，me？"Aggieclamored，witheveryevidenceofbeingdeeplywoundedbythechargeagainstherveracity。"Oh，Iwouldn"tdoanythinglikethat——onthelevel!Whatwouldbetheuse？I
couldn"tfoolyou，Commissioner。"
Burkestrokedhischinsheepishly，undertheinfluenceofmemoriesofMissHelenTraversWest。
"Sohelpme，"Aggiecontinuedwiththeutmostsolemnity，"Maryneverleftthehouseallnight。I"dswearthat"sthetruthonapileofBiblesamilehigh!"
"Havetobehigherthanthat，"theInspectorcommented，grimly。
"Yousee，AggieLynch，MaryTurnerwasarrestedjustaftermidnight。"Hisvoicedeepenedandcameblustering。"Youngwoman，you"dbettertellallyouknow。"
"Idon"tknowathing!"Aggieretorted，sharply。ShefacedtheInspectorfiercely，quiteunabashedbythefactthathervigorousoffertocommitperjuryhadbeenofnoavail。
Burke，withaquickmovement，drewthepistolfromhispocketandextendedittowardthegirl。
"Howlonghassheownedthisgun？"hesaid，threateningly。
Aggieshowednotraceofemotionasherglanceranovertheweapon。
"Shedidn"townit，"washerfirmanswer。
"Oh，thenit"sGarson"s!"Burkeexclaimed。
"Idon"tknowwhoseitis，"Aggiereplied，withanairofboredomwellcalculatedtodeceive。"Ineverlaideyesonittillnow。"
TheInspector"stoneabruptlytookonasombercoloring，withanunderlyingmenace。
"EnglishEddiewaskilledwiththisgunlastnight，"hesaid。
"Now，whodidit？"Hisbroadfacewassinister。"Comeon，now!
Whodidit？"
Aggiebecameflippant，seeminglyunimpressedbytheInspector"ssavageness。
"HowshouldIknow？"shedrawled。"WhatdoyouthinkIam——afortune-teller？"
"You"dbettercomethrough，"Burkereiterated。Thenhismannerchangedtowheedling。"Ifyou"rethewisekidIthinkyouare，youwill。"
Aggiewaxedverypetulantoverthisinsistence。
"Itellyou，Idon"tknowanything!Say，whatareyoutryingtohandme，anyway？"
Burkescowledonthegirlportentously，andshookhishead。
"Now，itwon"tdo，Itellyou，AggieLynch。I"mwise。Youlistentome。"Oncemorehismannerturnedtothecajoling。
"Youtellmewhatyouknow，andI"llseeyoumakeacleanget-away，andI"llslipyouanicelittlepieceofmoney，too。"
Thegirl"sfacechangedwithstartlingswiftness。SheregardedtheInspectorshrewdly，acraftyglintinhereyes。
"Letmegetthisstraight，"shesaid。"IfItellyouwhatIknowaboutMaryTurnerandJoeGarson，Igetaway？"
"Clean!"Burkeejaculated，eagerly。
"Andyou"llslipmesomecoin，too？"
"That"sit!"camethehastyassurance。"Now，whatdoyousay？"
Thesmallfiguregrewtense。Thedelicate，childishfacewassuddenlydistortedwithrage，arageblackandvenomous。Theblueeyeswereblazing。Thevoicecamethinandpiercing。
"Isay，you"reagreatbigstiff!WhatdoyouthinkIam？"shestormedatthediscomfitedInspector，whileCassidylookedoninsomeenjoymentatbeholdinghissuperiorbeingworsted。Aggiewheeledonthedetective。"Say，takemeoutofhere，"shecriedinavoicesurchargedwithdisgust。"I"dratherbeinthecoolerthanherewithhim!"
NowBurke"stonewasdangerous。
"You"lltell，"hegrowled，"oryou"llgouptheriverforastretch。"
"Idon"tknowanything，"thegirlretorted，spiritedlyAnd，ifI
did，Iwouldn"ttell——notinamillionyears!"ShethrustherheadforwardchallenginglyasshefacedtheInspector，andherexpressionwasresolute。"Now，then，"sheended，"sendmeup——ifyoucan!"
"Takeheraway，"Burkesnappedtothedetective。
AggiewenttowardCassidywithoutanysignofreluctance。
"Yes，do，please!"sheexclaimedwithasneer。"Anddoitinahurry。Beingintheroomwithhimmakesmesick!SheturnedtostareattheInspectorwitheyesthatwereveryclearandveryhard。Inthismoment，therewasnothingchildishintheirgaze。
"ThoughtI"dsqueal，didyou？"shesaid，evenly。Yes，I
will"——theredlipsbenttoasmileofsupremescorn——"likehell!"
CHAPTERXXII。THETRAPTHATFAILED。
Burke，despitehisqualityofheaviness，wasblestwithakeensenseofhumor，againstwhichattimeshisprofessionallaborsstrovemutinously。Inthepresentinstance，hehadfailedutterlytoobtainanyinformationofvaluefromthegirlwhomhehadjustbeenexamining。Onthecontrary，hehadbeenbefooledoutrageouslybyafemalecriminal，inamannertowounddeeplyhisprofessionalpride。Nevertheless，heborenogrudgeagainsttheadventuress。Hissenseoftheabsurdservedhimwell，andhetookalivelyenjoymentinrecallingthemethodbywhichherplausiblewileshadbeguiledhim。Hegaveherarealrespectfortheadroitnesswithwhichshehaddeceivedhim——andhewasnotonetobereadilydeceived。So，now，asthescornfulmaidenwentoutofthedoorundertheescortofCassidy，Burkebowedgallantlytoherlitheback，andblewakissfromhisthickfingertips，inmockingreverenceforherasanartistinherway。
Then，heseatedhimself，pressedthedeskcall-button，and，whenhehadlearnedthatEdwardGilderwasarrived，orderedthatthemagnateandtheDistrictAttorneybeadmitted，andthattheson，also，besentupfromhiscell。
"It"sabadbusiness，sir，"Burkesaid，withheartysympathy，totheshakenfather，aftertheformalgreetingsthatfollowedtheentranceofthetwomen。"It"saverybadbusiness。"
"Whatdoeshesay？"Gilderquestioned。Therewassomethingpitifulinthedistressofthisman，usuallysostrongandsocertainofhiscourse。Now，hewashesitantinhismovements，andhismellowvoicecamemoreweaklythanitswont。TherewasapatheticpleadinginthedulledeyeswithwhichheregardedtheInspector。
"Nothing!"Burkeanswered。"That"swhyIsentforyou。I
supposeMr。Demaresthasmadethesituationplaintoyou。"
Gildernodded，hisfacemiserable。
"Yes，"hehasexplainedittome，"hesaidinalifelessvoice。
"It"saterriblepositionformyboy。Butyou"llreleasehimatonce，won"tyou？"Thoughhestrovetoputconfidenceintohiswords，hispainfuldoubtwasmanifest。
"Ican"t，"Burkereplied，reluctantly，butbluntly。"Yououghtnottoexpectit，Mr。Gilder。"
"But，"cametheprotest，deliveredwithmuchmorespirit，"youknowverywellthathedidn"tdoit!"
Burkeshookhisheademphaticallyindenialoftheallegation。
"Idon"tknowanythingaboutit——yet，"hecontradicted。
Thefaceofthemagnatewentwhitewithfear。
"Inspector，"hecriedbrokenly，"you——don"tmean——"
Burkeansweredwithentirecandor。
"Imean，Mr。Gilder，thatyou"vegottomakehimtalk。That"swhatIwantyoutodo，foralloursakes。Willyou？"
"I"lldomybest，"theunhappymanreplied，forlornly。
Aminutelater，Dick，inchargeofanofficer，wasbroughtintotheroom。Hewaspale，alittledisheveledfromhishoursinacell。Hestillworehiseveningclothesofthenightbefore。
Hisfaceshowedclearlythedeepenedlines，gravenbythesufferingtowhichhehadbeensubjected，buttherewasnoweaknessinhisexpression。Instead，anewforcethatloveandsorrowhadbroughtoutinhischaracterwasplainlyvisible。Thestrengthofhisnaturewasspringingtofulllifeunderthestimulusoftheordealthroughwhichhewaspassing。
Thefatherwentforwardquickly，andcaughtDick"shandsinamightygrip。
"Myboy!"hemurmured，huskily。Then，hemadeagreateffort，andcontrolledhisemotiontosomeextent。"TheInspectortellsme，"hewenton，"thatyou"verefusedtotalk——toanswerhisquestions。"
Dick，too，wincedunderthepainofthismeetingwithhisfatherinasituationsosinister。Buthewas，tosomedegree，apatheticfromover-muchmisery。Now，inreplytohisfather"swords，heonlynoddedaquietassent。
"Thatwasn"twiseunderthecircumstances，"thefatherremonstratedhurriedly。"However，now，DemarestandIareheretoprotectyourinterests，sothatyoucantalkfreely。"Hewentonwithalittlecatchofanxietyinhisvoice。"Now，Dick，tellus!Whokilledthatman？Wemustknow。Tellme。"
Burkebrokeinimpatiently，withhisblusteringfashionofaddress。
"Wheredidyouget——？"
ButDemarestraisedarestraininghand。
"Wait，please!"headmonishedtheInspector。"Youwaitabit。"
Hewentasteptowardtheyoungman。"Givetheboyachance，"hesaid，andhisvoicewasveryfriendlyashewentonspeaking。
"Dick，Idon"twanttofrightenyou，butyourpositionisreallyadangerousone。Youronlychanceistospeakwithperfectfrankness。Ipledgeyoumyword，I"mtellingthetruth，Dick。"
Therewasprofoundconcerninthelawyer"sthinface，andhisvoice，trainedtooratoricalarts，wasemotionallypersuasive。
"Dick，myboy，IwantyoutoforgetthatI"mtheDistrictAttorney，andrememberonlythatI"manoldfriendofyours，andofyourfather"s，whoistryingveryhardtohelpyou。Surely，youcantrustme。Now，Dick，tellme:WhoshotGriggs？"
Therecamealongpause。Burke"sfacewasavidwithdesireforknowledge，withthekeenexpectancyofthehunteronthetrail，whichwascharacteristicofhiminhisprofessionalwork。TheDistrictAttorneyhimselfwaslessvitallyeager，buthiscuriosity，aswellashiswishtoescapefromanembarrassingsituation，showedopenlyonhisalertcountenance。Theheavyfeaturesofthefatherweretwistingalittleinnervousspasms，fortohimthishourwasallanguish，sincehisonlysonwasinsuchhorribleplight。Dickaloneseemedalmosttranquil，thoughtheoutwardcalmwasbeliedbytheflickeringofhiseyelidsandtheoccasionalinvoluntarymovementofthelips。Finallyhespoke，inacold，wearyvoice。
"IshotGriggs，"hesaid。
Demarestrealizedsubtlythathispleahadfailed，buthemadearefforttoresisttheimpression，totaketheadmissionatitsfacevalue。
"Why？"hedemanded。
Dick"sanswercameinthelikeunmeaningtones，andaswearily。
"BecauseIthoughthewasaburglar。"
TheDistrictAttorneywasbeginningtofeelhisprofessionalpridearousedagainstthisyoungmanwhosoflagrantlyrepelledhisattemptstolearnthetruthconcerningthecrimethathadbeencommitted。Heresortedtofamiliarartificesforentanglingonequestioned。
"Oh，Isee!"hesaid，inatoneofconviction。"Now，let"sgobackalittle。Burkesaysyoutoldhimlastnightthatyouhadpersuadedyourwifetocomeovertothehouse，andjoinyouthere。Isthatright？"
"Yes。"Themonosyllablewasutteredindifferently。"And，whilethetwoofyouweretalking，"Demarestcontinuedinamatter-of-factmanner。Hedidnotconcludethesentence，butaskedinstead:"Now，tellme，Dick，justwhatdidhappen，won"tyou？"
Therewasnoreply；and，afteralittleinterval，thelawyerresumedhisquestioning。
"Didthisburglarcomeintotheroom？"
Dicknoddedanassent。
"Andheattackedyou？"
Therecameanothernodofaffirmation。
"Andtherewasastruggle？"
"Yes，"Dicksaid，andnowtherewasresolutioninhisanswer。
"Andyoushothim？"Demarestasked，smoothly。
"Yes，"theyoungmansaidagain。
"Then，"thelawyercounteredontheinstant，"wheredidyougettherevolver？"
Dickstartedtoanswerwithoutthought:
"Why，Igrabbedit——"Then，thesignificanceofthiscrashedonhisconsciousness，andhecheckedthewordstremblingonhislips。Hiseyes，whichhadbeendowncast，liftedandglaredonthequestioner。"So，"hesaidwithswifthostilityinhisvoice，"so，you"retryingtotrapme，too!"Heshruggedhisshouldersinawayhehadlearnedabroad。"You!Andyoutalkoffriendship。
Iwantnoneofsuchfriendship。"
Demarest，greatlydisconcerted，wasskilled，nevertheless，indissembling，andhehidhischagrinperfectly。Therewasonlyreproachinhisvoiceasheansweredstoutly:
"Iamyourfriend，Dick。"
ButBurkewouldbenolongerrestrained。HehadlistenedwithincreasingimpatiencetothediplomaticeffortsoftheDistrictAttorney，whichhadendedintotalrout。Now，heinsistedonemployinghisownmoredrastic，and，ashebelieved，moreefficacious，methods。Hestoodup，andspokeinhismostthreateningmanner。
"Youdon"twanttotakeusforfools，youngman，"hesaid，andhisbigtonesrumbledharshlythroughtheroom。"IfyoushotGriggsinmistakeforaburglar，whydidyoutrytohidethefact？Whydidyoupretendtomethatyouandyourwifewerealoneintheroom——whenyouhad*THATtherewithyou，eh？Whydidn"tyoucallforhelp？Whydidn"tyoucallforthepolice，asanyhonestmanwouldnaturallyundersuchcircumstances？"
Thearraignmentwasseverelylogical。Dickshowedhisappreciationofthejusticeofitinthewhiteningofhisface，nordidhetrytoanswerthechargesthushurledathim。
Thefather，too，appreciatedthegravityofthesituation。Hisfacewasworking，asiftowardtears。
"We"retryingtosaveyou，"hepleaded，tremulously。
Burkepersistedinhisvehementsystemofattack。Now，heagainbroughtouttheweaponthathaddoneEddieGriggstodeath。
"Where"dyougetthisgun？"heshouted。
Dickheldhistranquilpose。
"Iwon"ttalkanymore，"heanswered，simply。"Imustseemywifefirst。"Hisvoicebecamemoreaggressive。"Iwanttoknowwhatyou"vedonetoher。"
Burkeseizedonthisopening。
"DidshekillGriggs？"hequestioned，roughly。
Foronce，Dickwasstartledoutofhiscalm。
"No，no!"hecried，desperately。
Burkefolloweduphisadvantage。
"Then，whodid？"hedemanded，sharply。"Whodid？"
Now，however，theyoungmanhadregainedhisself-control。Heansweredveryquietly，butwithanairoffinality。
"Iwon"tsayanymoreuntilI"vetalkedwithalawyerwhomIcantrust。"HeshotavindictiveglancetowardDemarest。
Thefatherintervenedwithapiteouseagerness。
"Dick，ifyouknowwhokilledthisman，youmustspeaktoprotectyourself。"
Burke"svoicecameviciously。
"Thegunwasfoundonyou。Don"tforgetthat。"
"Youdon"tseemtorealizethepositionyou"rein，"thefatherinsisted，despairingly。"Thinkofme，Dick，myboy。Ifyouwon"tspeakforyourownsake，doitformine。"
Thefaceoftheyoungmansoftenedashemethisfather"sbeseechingeyes。
"I"msorry，Dad，"hesaid，verygently。"ButI——well，Ican"t!"
Again，Burkeinterposed。Hisbusybrainwasworkingoutanewschemeforsolvingthisirritatingproblem。
"I"mgoingtogivehimalittlemoretimetothinkthingsover，"
hesaid，curtly。Hewentbacktohischair。"Perhapshe"llgettounderstandtheimportanceofwhatwe"vebeensayingprettysoon。"HescowledatDick。"Now，youngman，"hewentonbriskly，"youwanttodoalotofquickthinking，andalotofhonestthinking，and，whenyou"rereadytotellthetruth，letmeknow。"
Hepressedthebuttononhisdesk，and，asthedoormanappeared，addressedthatfunctionary。
"Dan，haveoneofthementakehimback。Youwaitoutside。"
Dick，however，didnotmove。Hisvoicecamewithanoteofdetermination。
"Iwanttoknowaboutmywife。Whereisshe？"
Burkedisregardedthequestionascompletelyasifithadnotbeenuttered，andwentonspeakingtothedoormanwithasuggestioninhiswordsthatwaseffective。
"He"snottospeaktoanyone，youunderstand。"Thenhecondescendedtogivehisattentiontotheprisoner。"You"llknowallaboutyourwife，youngman，whenyoumakeupyourmindtotellmethetruth。"
DickgavenoheedtotheInspector"sstatement。Hiseyeswerefixedonhisfather，andtherewasagreattendernessintheirdepths。Andhespokeverysoftly:
"Dad，I"msorry!"
Thefather"sgazemettheson"s，andtheeyesofthetwolocked。
Therewasnootherwordspoken。Dickturned，andfollowedhiscustodianoutoftheofficeinsilence。Evenaftertheshuttingofthedoorbehindtheprisoner，thepauseenduredforsomemoments。
Then，atlast，Burkespoketothemagnate。
"Yousee，Mr。Gilder，whatwe"reupagainst。Ican"tlethimgo——yet!"
Thefatherstrodeacrosstheroominasuddenaccessofrage。
"He"sthinkingofthatwoman，"hecriedout，inaloudvoice。
"He"stryingtoshieldher。"
"He"saloyalkid，atthat，"Burkecommented，withagrudgingadmiration。"I"llsaythatmuchforhim。"Hisexpressiongrewmorose，asagainhepressedthebuttononhisdesk。"Andnow，"
hevouchsafed，"I"llshowyouthedifference。"Then，asthedoormanreappeared，hegavehisorder:"Dan，havetheTurnerwomanbroughtup。"Heregardedthetwomenwithhisbristlingbrowspulleddowninascowl。"I"llhavetotryadifferentgamewithher，"hesaid，thoughtfully。"Shesureisonecleverlittledame。But，ifshedidn"tdoitherself，sheknowswhodid，allright。"Again，Burke"svoicetookonitssavagenote。"Andsomeone"sgottopayforkillingGriggs。Idon"thavetoexplainwhytoMr。Demarest，buttoyou，Mr。Gilder。Yousee，it"sthisway:
Theveryfoundationsoftheworkdonebythisdepartmentrestontheuseofcrooks，whoarewillingtobetraytheirpalsforcoin。
Itoldyouabitaboutitlastnight。Now，youunderstand，ifGriggs"smurdergoesunpunished，it"llputthefearofGodintotheheartofeverystool-pigeonweemploy。Andthenwhere"dwebe？Tellmethat!"
TheInspectornextcalledhisstenographer，andgaveexplicitdirections。Atthebackoftheroom，behindthedesk，werethreelargewindows，whichopenedonacorridor，andacrossthiswasatierofcells。Thestenographerwastotakehisseatinthiscorridor，justoutsideoneofthewindows。Overthewindows，theshadesweredrawn，sothathewouldremaininvisibletoanyonewithintheoffice，whileyeteasilyabletooverheareverywordspokenintheroom。
Whenhehadcompletedhisinstructionstothestenographer，BurketurnedtoGilderandDemarest。
"Now，thistime，"hesaidenergetically，"I"llbetheonetodothetalking。Andgetthis:Whateveryouhearmesay，don"tyoubesurprised。Remember，we"redealingwithcrooks，and，whenyou"redealingwithcrooks，youhavetousecrookedways。"
Therewasabriefperiodofsilence。Then，thedooropened，andMaryTurnerenteredtheoffice。Shewalkedslowlyforward，movingwiththesmoothstrengthandgracethatweretheproofofperfecthealthandofperfectpoise，thecorrelationofmindandbodyinexactness。Herform，clearlyrevealedbytheclingingeveningdress，wasacurvinggroupofgraces。Thebeautyofherfacewasenhanced，ratherthanlessened，bythepallorofit，forthefadingoftherichercolorsgavetothefinefeaturesanexpressionmorespiritual，madeplainertheunderlyingqualitiesthatheraccustomedbrilliancemighthalf-conceal。Shepaidabsolutelynoattentiontotheothertwointheroom，butwentstraighttothedesk，andtherehalted，gazingwithhersoftlypenetranteyesofdeepestvioletintothefaceoftheInspector。
Underthatintentscrutiny，Burkefeltachallenge，sethimselftomatchcraftwithcraft。Hewasnotlikelytoundervaluethewitsofonewhohadsooftenfloutedhim，who，evennow，hadplacedhiminapreposterouspredicamentbythisentanglementoverthedeathofaspy。Buthewasresolvedtousehisbestskilltodisarmhersophistication。Hislargevoicewasmodulatedtokindlinessashespokeinacasualmanner。
"Ijustsentforyoutotellyouthatyou"refree。"
Maryregardedthespeakerwithanimpenetrableexpression。Hertonesasshespokewerequiteasmatter-of-factashisownhadbeen。Inthemwasnowonder，noexultation。
"Then，Icango，"shesaid，simply。
"Sure，youcango，"Burkereplied，amiably。
Withoutanydelay，yetwithoutanyhaste，MaryglancedtowardGilderandDemarest，whowerewatchingthesceneclosely。Hereyesweresomehowappraising，butaltogetherindifferent。Then，shewenttowardtheouterdooroftheoffice，stillwiththatalmostlackadaisicalair。
Burkewaitedratherimpatientlyuntilshehadnearlyreachedthedoorbeforeheshothisbolt，withafineassumptionofcarelessnessintheannouncement。
"Garsonhasconfessed!"
Mary，whoreadilyenoughhadalreadyguessedtheessentialhypocrisyofallthisplay，turnedandconfrontedtheInspector，andansweredwithouttheleasttraceoffear，butwiththefirmnessofknowledge:
"Oh，no，hehasn"t!"
HerattitudeexasperatedBurke。Hisvoiceroaredoutwrathfully。
"What"sthereasonhehasn"t？"
Themusicinthetonesoftheanswerwasavocalrebuke。
"Becausehedidn"tdoit。"Shestatedthefactasonewithoutahintofanycontradictorypossibility。
"Well，hesayshedidit!"Burkevociferated，stillmoreloudly。
Mary，inherturn，resortedtoabitoffinesse，inordertolearnwhetherornotGarsonhadbeenarrested。Shespokewithatraceofindignation。
"Buthowcouldhehavedoneit，whenhewent——"shebegan。
TheInspectorfellavictimtohersuperiorcraft。Hisquestioncameeagerly。
"Wheredidhego？"
Marysmiledforthefirsttimesinceshehadbeenintheroom，andinthatsmiletheInspectorrealizedhisdefeatinthefirstpassageofthisgameofintriguebetweenthem。
"Yououghttoknow，"shesaid，sedately，"sinceyouhavearrestedhim，andhehasconfessed。"
Demarestputupahandtoconcealhissmileoverthepoliceofficial"schagrin。Gilder，staringalwaysatthiswomanwhohadcometobehisNemesis，wasmarvelingoverthebeautyandverveoftheonesohatinghimastoplantheruinofhislifeandhisson"s。
Burkewasfranticoverbeingworstedthus。Togainadiversion，herevertedtohisfamiliarbullyingtactics。Hisquestionburstraspingly。Itwasaquestionthathadcometobeconstantwithinhisbrainduringthelastfewhours，onethatobsessedhim，thatfrettedhimsorely，almostbeyondendurance。
"WhoshotGriggs？"heshouted。
Maryrestedsereneinthepresenceofthisviolence。Heranswercappedtheclimaxoftheofficer"sexasperation。
"Myhusbandshotaburglar，"shesaid，languidly。Andthenherinsolencereacheditsculminationinaqueryofherown:"WashisnameGriggs？"Itwasdonewithsplendidart，withasplendidmasteryofherownemotions，for，evenasshespokethewords，shewasrememberingthoseshudderingsecondswhenshehadstood，onlyafewhoursago，gazingdownattheinertbulkthathadbeenaman。
Burkebetookhimselftoanotherformofattack。
"Oh，youknowbetterthanthat，"hedeclared，truculently。"Yousee，we"vetracedtheMaximsilencer。GarsonhimselfboughtitupinHartford。"
Forthefirsttime，Marywascaughtoffherguard。
"Buthetoldme——"shebegan，thenbecameawareofherindiscretion，andcheckedherself。
Burkeseizedonherlapsewithavidity。
"Whatdidhetellyou？"hequestioned，eagerly。
Now，Maryhadregainedherself-command，andshespokecalmly。
"Hetoldme，"shesaid，withoutaparticleofhesitation，"thathehadneverseenone。Surely，ifhehadhadanythingofthesort，hewouldhaveshownittomethen。"
"Probablyhedid，too!"Burkerejoined，withouttheleastsuspicionthathissurlyutterancetouchedthetruthexactly。
"Now，seehere，"hewenton，tryingtomakehisvoiceaffable，thoughwithsmallsuccess，forhewasexcessivelyirritatedbytheserepeatedfailures；"Icanmakeitaloteasierforyouifyou"lltalk。Comeon，now!WhokilledGriggs？"
Marycastoffpretensefinally，andspokemalignantly。
"That"sforyoutofindout，"shesaid，sneering。
Burkepressedthebuttononthedesk，and，whenthedoormanappeared，orderedthattheprisonerbereturnedtohercell。
ButMarystoodrebellious，andspokewitharesumptionofhercynicalscorn。
"Isuppose，"shesaid，withaglanceofcontempttowardDemarest，"thatit"suselessformetoclaimmyconstitutionalrights，anddemandtoseealawyer？"
Burke，too，hadcastoffpretenseatlast。
"Yes，"heagreed，withanevilsmirk，"you"veguesseditright，thefirsttime。"
MaryspoketotheDistrictAttorney。
"Ibelieve，"shesaid，withanewdignityofbearing，"thatsuchismyconstitutionalright，isitnot，Mr。Demarest？"
Thelawyersoughtnoevasionoftheissue。Forthatmatter，hewascomingtohaveanincreasingrespect，evenadmiration，forthisyoungwoman，whoenduredinsultandignominywithaspiritsosturdy，andmetstrategemwithotherstrategembetterdevised。
So，now，hemadehisanswerwithfrankhonesty。
"Itisyourconstitutionalright，MissTurner。"
MaryturnedhercleareyesontheInspector，andawaitedfromthatofficialareplythatwasnotforthcoming。Truthtotell，Burkewasfarfromcomfortableunderthatsurvey。
"Well，Inspector？"sheinquired，atlast。
Burketookrefuge，ashiswontwaswhentoohardpressed，inamightybellow。
"TheConstitutiondon"tgohere!"Itwasthebesthecoulddo，anditshamedhim，forheknewitsweakness。Again，wrathsurgedinhim，anditsurgedhigh。HewelcomedtheadventofCassidy，whocamehurryinginwithagrinofsatisfactiononhisstolidface。
"Say，Chief，"thedetectivesaidwithanimation，inresponsetoBurke"sglanceofinquiry，"we"vegotGarson。"
Mary"sfacefell，thoughthechangeofexpressionwasalmostimperceptible。OnlyDemarest，astudentofmuchexperience，observedthefleetingdisplayofrepressedemotion。WhentheInspectortookthoughttolookather，shewasasimpassiveasbefore。Yet，hewasmindedtotryanotherruseinhisdesiretodefeattheintelligenceofthiswoman。Tothisend，heaskedGilderandtheDistrictAttorneytowithdraw，whileheshouldhaveaprivateconversationwiththeprisoner。Asshelistenedtohisrequest，Marysmiledagaininsphinx-likefashion，andtherewasstillonherlipsanexpressionthatcausedtheofficialapangofdoubt，when，atlast，thetwowereleftalonetogether，andhedartedasurreptitiousglancetowardher。Nevertheless，hepressedonhisdevicevaliantly。
"Now，"hesaid，withamarkedsofteningofmanner，"I"mgoingtobeyourfriend。"
"Areyou？"Mary"stonewasnon-committal。
"Yes，"Burkedeclared，heartily。"AndImeanit!GiveupthetruthaboutyoungGilder。IknowheshotGriggs，ofcourse。ButI"mnottakinganystockinthatburglarstory——notalittlebit!
Nocourtwould，either。Whatwasreallybackofthekilling？"
Burke"seyesnarrowedcunningly。"WashejealousofGriggs？
Well，that"swhathemightdothen。He"salwaysbeenaworthlessyoungcub。Arottendeallikethiswouldbeabouthisgait，I
guess……Tellme，now:WhydidheshootEddieGriggs？"
Therewascoarsenessa-plentyintheInspector"spretense，butitpossessedasolitaryfundamentalvirtue:itplayedontheheartofthewomanwhomhequestioned，arousedittowrathindefenseofhermate。Inasecond，allpoisefledfromthisgirlwhosesoulwasblossomingintheblestrealizationthatamanlovedherpurely，unselfishly。Herwordscamestumblinglyintheirhaste。
Hereyeswereneartoblackintheiranger。
"Hedidn"tkillhim!Hedidn"tkillhim!"shefairlyhissed。
"Why，he"sthemostwonderfulmanintheworld。Youshan"thurthim!Nobodyshallhurthim!I"llfighttotheendofmylifeforDickGilder!"
Burkewasbeamingjoyously。Atlast——alonglast!——hisfinessehadwonthevictoryoverthiswoman"ssubtleties。
"Well，that"sjustwhatIthought，"hesaid，withsmugcontent。
"Andnow，then，whodidshootGriggs？We"vegoteveryoneofthegang。They"reallcrooks。Seehere，"hewenton，withasuddenchangetotherespectfulinhismanner，"whydon"tyoustartfresh？I"llgiveyoueverychanceintheworld。I"mdeadonthelevelwithyouthistime。"
Buthewastoolate。Bynow，Maryhadherselfwellinhandagain，vastlyashamedoftheshortperiodofself-betrayalcausedbytheofficial"sartificeagainstherheart。AsshelistenedtotheInspector"sassurances，themockingexpressionofherfacewasnotencouragingtothatastuteindividual，butheperseveredmanfully。
"Justyouwait，"hewentoncheerfully，"andI"llprovetoyouthatI"monthelevelaboutthis，thatI"mreallyyourfriend……
Therewasalettercameforyoutoyourapartment。Mymenbroughtitdowntome。I"vereadit。Hereitis。I"llreadittoyou!"
Hepickedupanenvelope，whichhadbeenlyingonthedesk，anddrewoutthesinglesheetofpaperitcontained。Marywatchedhim，wonderingmuchmorethanherexpressionrevealedoverthisnewdevelopment。Then，asshelistened，quickinteresttouchedherfeaturestoanewlife。Inhereyesleapedemotionstomakeormaralife。
Thiswastheletter:
"Ican"tgowithouttellingyouhowsorryIam。Therewon"tneverbeatimethatIwon"trememberitwasmegotyousentup，thatyoudidtimeinmyplace。Iain"tgoingtoforgivemyselfever，andIswearI"mgoingstraightalways。
"Yourtruefriend，"HELEN
MORRIS。"
Foronce，Burkeshowedacertaindelicacy。Whenhehadfinishedthereading，hesaidnothingforalongminute——only，satwithhiscunningeyesonthefaceofthewomanwhowasimmobiletherebeforehim。And，ashelookedonherinherslendereleganceofformandgentlewomanlylovelinessofface，alovelinessintelligentandrefinedbeyondthatofmostwomen，hefeltborneinonhisconsciousnessthefactthatherewasonetoberespected。Hefoughtagainsttheimpression。Itwastohimpreposterous，forshewasoneofthatunderworldagainstwhichhewasruthlesslyatwar。Yet，hecouldnotaltogetherovercomehisinstincttowardahalf-reverentadmiration……And，astheletterproved，shehadbeeninnocentattheoutset。Shehadbeenthevictimofamistakenjustice，madeoutcastbythelawshehadneverwronged……Hismoodofrespectwasinevitable，sincehehadsomesensibilities，thoughtheywerecoarsened，andtheysensedvaguelythemaelstromofemotionsthatnowswirledinthegirl"sbreast。
ToMaryTurner，thiswasthewonderfulhour。Init，thevindicationofherinnocencewasmadecomplete。ThestorywasthererecordedinblackandwhiteonthepagewrittenbyHelenMorris。Itmatteredlittle——orinfinitelymuch!——thatitcametoolate。Shehadgainedherevilplaceintheworld，wasanotoriouswomaninfact，wasevennowaprisonerundersuspicionofmurder。Nevertheless，shefeltathrillofecstasyoverthiswrittendocument——whichithadneveroccurredtohertowrestfromthegirlatthetimeoftheoralconfession。Nowthatithadbeenproffered，thevalueofitloomedabovealmostallthingselseintheworld。Itproclaimedundeniablythewrongunderwhichshehadsuffered。Shewasnotthethiefthecourthadadjudgedher。Now，there"snobodyherebutjustyouandme。Comeon，now——putmewise!"
Marywasagaintheresourcefulwomanwhowasgladtopitherbrainagainstthecontrivingofthosewhofoughther。So，atthismoment，sheseemedplianttothewillofthemanwhourgedherthuscunningly。HerquickglancearoundtheofficewasofasorttodeludetheInspectorintoabeliefthatshewasyieldingtohislure。
"Areyousurenoonewilleverknow？"sheasked，timorously。
"Nobodybutyouandme，"Burkedeclared，allagogwithanticipationofvictoryatlast。"Igiveyoumyword!"
MarymetthegazeoftheInspectorfully。Inthesameinstant，sheflashedonhimasmilethatwasdazzling，thesmileofawomantriumphantinhermasteryofthesituation。Herfacewasradiant，luminouswithhonestmirth。Therewassomethingsimpleandgenuineinherbeautythatthrilledthemanbeforeher，themantryingsovindictivelytotraphertoherownundoing。Forallhisgrossness，Burkewasofshrewdperceptions，andsomewhere，half-submergedunderthesordidnatureofhiscalling，wasaloveofthingsesthetic，aresponsivenesstotheappealsofbeauty。Now，ashisglancesearchedthefaceofthegirlwhowasbubblingwithmirth，heexperiencedanoddwarmingofhisheartunderthespellofherloveliness——alovelinesswhollyfeminine，pervasive，wholesome。But，too，hissoulshookinapremonitionofcatastrophe，fortherewasmischiefinthebeamingeyesofsoftestviolet。Therewasademonofmockeryplayinginthecurvesofthescarletlips，asshesmiledsowinsomely。
Allhisapprehensionswereverifiedbyherutterance。Itcameinamostcasualvoice，despitethedancingdelightinherface。
Thetonesweredrawledinthematter-of-factfashionofstatementthatleadsalistenertoanswerwithoutheedtotheexactimportofthequestion，unlessveryalert，indeed……Thisiswhatshesaidinthatso-casualvoice:
"I"mnotspeakingloudenough，amI，stenographer？"
Andthatindustriouswriterofshorthandnotes，absorbedinhistask，answeredinstantlyfromhishiddenplaceinthecorridor。
"No，ma"am，notquite。"
Marylaughedaloud，whileBurkesatdumfounded。Sheroseswiftly，andwenttothenearestwindow，andwithapullatthecordsenttheshadeflyingupward。Forseconds，therewasrevealedthebusystenographer，bentoverhispad。Then，thenoiseoftheascendingshade，whichhadbeenhammeringonhisconsciousness，penetrated，andhelookedup。Realizationcame，ashebeheldthewomanlaughingathimthroughthewindow。Consternationbesethim。Heknewthat，somehow，hehadbungledfatally。Agroanofdistressburstfromhim，andhefledtheplaceinignominiousrout。
Therewasanotherwhosespiritwasequallydesirousofflight——Burke!Yetonceagain，hewasbeatenathisowngame，hiscunningmadeofnoavailagainstthecleverinterpretationofthiswomanwhomheassailed。Hehadnodefensetooffer。Hedidnotcaretomeethergazejustthen，sincehewaslearningtorespectherasonewronged，wherehehadregardedherhithertomerelyasoftheflotsamandjetsamofthecriminalclass。So，heavoidedhereyesasshestoodbythewindowregardinghimquizzically。Inapanicofconfusionquitenewtohiminhisyearsofexperience，hepressedthebuttononhisdesk。
Thedoormanappearedwiththatautomaticprecisionwhichmadehimvaluableinhisposition，andtheInspectorhailedthereadypresencewithafeelingofprofoundrelief。
"Dan，takeherback!"hesaid，feebly。
Marywassmilingstillasshewenttothedoor。Butshecouldnotresisttheimpulsetowardretort。
"Oh，yes，"shesaid，suavely；"youwererightonthelevelwithme，weren"tyou，Burke？Nobodyherebutyouandme!"Thewordscameinasing-songofmockery。
TheInspectorhadnothinginthewayofanswer——only，satmotionlessuntilthedoorclosedafterher。Then，leftalone，hissoleaudiblecommentwasasingleword——onehehadlearned，perhaps，fromAggieLynch:
"Hell!"
CHAPTERXXIII。THECONFESSION。
Burkewasapersistentman，andhehadsethimselftogettingthemurdererofGriggs。FoiledinhiseffortsthusfarbytheoppositionofMary，henowgavehimselfovertocarefulthoughtastoameansofprocedurethatmightofferthebestpossibilitiesofsuccess。Hisbeetlingbrowsweredrawninafrownofperplexityforafullquarterofanhour，whileherestedmotionlessinhischair，anunlightedcigarbetweenhislips。Then，atlast，hisfacecleared；agrinofsatisfactiontwistedhisheavymouth，andhesmotethedeskjoyously。
"It"sacinchit"llget"im!"herumbled，inglee。
Hepressedthebutton-call，andorderedthedoormantosendinCassidy。Whenthedetectiveappearedaminutelater，hewentdirectlytohissubjectwithastraightforwardenergyusualtohiminhiswork。
"DoesGarsonknowwe"vearrestedtheTurnergirlandyoungGilder？"And，whenhehadbeenansweredinthenegative:"Orthatwe"vegotChicagoRedandDaceyhere？"
"No，"Cassidyreplied。"Hehasn"tbeenspokentosincewemadethecollar……Heseemsworried，"thedetectivevolunteered。
Burke"sbroadjowlsshookfromtheforcewithwhichhesnappedhisjawstogether。