\"He\'llbemoreworriedbeforeIgetthroughwithhim!\"hegrowled。HeregardedCassidyspeculatively。\"DoyouremembertheThirdDegreeInspectorBurnsworkedonMcGloin？Well，\"hewenton，asthedetectivenoddedassent，\"that\'swhatI\'mgoingtodotoGarson。He\'sgotimagination，thatcrook!Thethingshedon\'tknowaboutarethethingshe\'safraidof。Afterhegetsinhere，Iwantyoutotakehispalsoneaftertheother，andlockthemupinthecellsthereinthecorridor。Theshadesonthecorridorwindowsherewillbeup，andGarsonwillseethemtakenin。Thefactoftheirbeingtherewillsethisimaginationtoworkingovertime，allright。\"
Burkereflectedforamoment，andthenissuedthefinaldirectionsfortheexecutionofhislatestplot。
\"Whenyougetthebuzzerfromme，youhaveyoungGilderandtheTurnerwomansentin。Then，afterawhile，you\'llgetanotherbuzzer。Whenyouhearthat，comerightinhere，andtellmethattheganghassquealed。I\'lldotherest。BringGarsonhereinjustfiveminutes……TellDantocomein。\"
Asthedetectivewentout，thedoormanpromptlyentered，andthereatBurkeproceededwiththefurtherinstructionsnecessarytothecarryingoutofhisscheme。
\"Takethechairsoutoftheoffice，Dan，\"hedirected，\"exceptmineandoneother——thatone!\"Heindicatedachairstandingalittlewayfromoneendofhisdesk。\"Now，havealltheshadesup。\"Hechuckledasheadded:\"ThatTurnerwomansavedyouthetroublewithone。\"
Asthedoormanwentoutafterhavingfulfilledthesecommands，theInspectorlightedthecigarwhichhehadretainedstillinhismouth，andthenseatedhimselfinthechairthatwassetpartlyfacingthewindowsopeningonthecorridor。Hesmiledwithanticipatorytriumphashemadesurethatthewholelengthofthecorridorwiththebarreddoorsofthecellswasplainlyvisibletoonesittingthus。Withafinalglanceabouttomakecertainthatallwasinreadiness，hereturnedtohischair，and，whenthedooropened，hewas，toallappearances，busilyengagedinwriting。
\"Here\'sGarson，Chief，\"Cassidyannounced。
\"Hello，Joe!\"Burkeexclaimed，withaseemingofcarelessfriendliness，asthedetectivewentout，andGarsonstoodmotionlessjustwithinthedoor。
\"Sitdown，aminute，won\'tyou？\"theInspectorcontinued，affably。Hedidnotlookupfromhiswritingashespoke。
Garson\'susuallystrongfacewasshowingweakwithfear。Hischin，whichwascommonlyveryfirm，movedalittlefromuneasytwitchingsofhislips。Hiscleareyeswereslightlycloudedtoalookofapprehension，astheyrovedtheroomfurtively。HemadenoanswertotheInspector\'sgreetingforafewmoments，butremainedstandingwithoutmovement，poisedalertlyasifsensingsomeconcealedperil。Finally，however，hisanxietyfoundexpressioninwords。Histonewaspregnantwithalarm，thoughhestrovetomakeitmerelycomplaining。
\"Say，whatamIarrestedfor？\"heprotested。\"Iain\'tdoneanything。\"
Evennow，Burkedidnotlookup，andhispencontinuedtohurryoverthepaper。
\"Whotoldyouyouwerearrested？\"heremarked，cheerfully，inhisblandestvoice。
Garsonutteredanejaculationofdisgust。
\"Idon\'thavetobetold，\"heretorted，huffily。\"I\'mnocollegepresident，but，whenacopgrabsmeandbringsmedownhere，I\'vegotsenseenoughtoknowI\'mpinched。\"
TheInspectordidnotinterrupthiswork，butansweredwiththeutmostgoodnature。
\"Isthatwhattheydidtoyou，Joe？I\'llhavetospeaktoCassidyaboutthat。Now，justyousitdown，Joe，won\'tyou？I
wanttohavealittletalkwithyou。I\'llbethroughhereinasecond。\"Hewentonwiththewriting。
Garsonmovedforwardslightly，tothesinglechairneartheendofthedesk，andthereseatedhimselfmechanically。Hisfacethuswasturnedtowardthewindowsthatgaveonthecorridor，andhiseyesgrewyetmorecloudedastheyrestedonthegrimdoorsofthecells。Hewrithedinhischair，andhisgazejumpedfromthecellstotheimpassivefigureofthemanatthedesk。Now，theforger\'snervousnessincreasedmomentlyitsweptbeyondhiscontrol。Ofasudden，hesprangup，andsteppedclosetotheInspector。
\"Say，\"hesaid，inahuskyvoice，\"I\'dlike——I\'dliketohavealawyer。\"
\"What\'sthematterwithyou，Joe？\"theInspectorreturned，alwayswiththatimperturbableair，andwithoutraisinghisheadfromtheworkthatsoengrossedhisattention。\"Youknow，you\'renotarrested，Joe。Maybe，youneverwillbe。Now，fortheloveofMike，keepstill，andletmefinishthisletter。\"
Slowly，veryhesitatingly，Garsonwentbacktothechair，andsankdownonitinalimpattitudeofdejectionwhollyunlikehiscustomaryposturesofstrength。Again，hisfear-fascinatedeyeswenttotherowofcellsthatstoodsilentlymenacingontheothersideofthecorridorbeyondthewindows。Hisfacewastingedwithgray。Aphysicalsicknesswascreepingstealthilyonhim，ashisthoughtsheldinsistentlytothecatastrophethatthreatened。HisintelligencewastookeentopermitabeliefthatBurke\'smannerofalmostfulsomekindlinesshidnothingominous——ominouswithahintofdeathforhiminreturnforthedeathhehadwrought。
Then，terrorcrystallized。Hiseyeswerecaughtbyafigure，thefigureofCassidy，advancingthereinthecorridor。Andwiththedetectivewentamanwhosegaitwasslinking，craven。A
cell-doorswungopen，theprisonersteppedwithin，thedoorclangedto，theboltsshotintotheirsocketsnoisily。
Garsonsathuddled，stricken——forhehadrecognizedthevictimthrustintothecellbeforehiseyes……ItwasDacey，oneofhisowncroniesincrime——Dacey，who，thenightbefore，hadseenhimkillEddieGriggs。TherewassomethingconcretelysinistertoGarsoninthisfactofDacey\'spresencethereinthecell。
Ofasudden，theforgercriedoutraucously:
\"Say，Inspector，ifyou\'vegotanythingonme，I——Iwould——\"
Thecrydroppedintounintelligiblemumblings。
Burkeretainedhismannerofsereneindifferencetotheother\'sagitation。Still，hispenhurriedoverthepaper；andhedidnottroubletolookupasheexpostulated，half-banteringly。
\"Now，now!What\'sthematterwithyou，Joe？ItoldyouthatI
wantedtoaskyouafewquestions。That\'sall。\"
Garsonleapedtohisfeetagainresolutely，thenfaltered，andultimatelyfellbackintothechairwithagroan，astheInspectorwentonspeaking。
\"Now，Joe，sitdown，andkeepstill，Itellyou，andletmegetthroughwiththisjob。Itwon\'ttakememorethanaminutemore。\"
But，afteramoment，Garson\'semotionforcedhinttoanotherappeal。
\"Say，Inspector——\"hebegan。
Then，abruptly，hewassilent，hismouthstillopentoutterthewordsthatwerenowheldbackbyhorror。Again，hesawthedetectivewalkingforward，outthereinthecorridor。Andwithhim，asbefore，wasasecondfigure，whichadvancedslinkingly。
Garsonleanedforwardinhischair，hisheadthrustout，watchinginrigidsuspense。Again，evenasbefore，thedoorswungwide，theprisonerslippedwithin，thedoorclangedshut，theboltsclatterednoisilyintotheirsockets。
And，inthewatcher，terrorgrew——forhehadseenthefaceofChicagoRed，anotherofhispals，anotherwhohadseenhimkillGriggs。Foratimethatseemedtohimlongagesofmisery，Garsonsatstaringdazedlyatthecloseddoorsofthetierofcells。Theperilabouthimwasgrowing——growing，anditwasadeadlyperil!Atlast，helickedhisdrylips，andhisvoicebrokeinathroatywhisper。
\"Say，Inspector，ifyou\'vegotanythingagainstme，why——\"
\"Whosaidtherewasanythingagainstyou，Joe？\"Burkerejoined，inavoicethatwasgeniallychiding。\"What\'sthematterwithyouto-day，Joe？Youseemnervous。\"Still，theofficialkeptonwithhiswriting。
\"No，Iain\'tnervous，\"Garsoncried，withafeverishefforttoappearcalm。\"Why，whatmakesyouthinkthat？Butthisain\'texactlytheplaceyou\'dpickoutasapleasantonetospendthemorning。\"Hewassilentforalittle，tryingwithallhisstrengthtoregainhisself-control，butwithsmallsuccess。
\"CouldIaskyouaquestion？\"hedemandedfinally，withmorefirmnessinhisvoice。
\"Whatisit？\"Burkesaid。
Garsonclearedhisthroatwithdifficulty，andhisvoicewasthick。
\"Iwasjustgoingtosay——\"hebegan。Then，hehesitated，andwassilent，ataloss。
\"Well，whatisit，Joe？\"theInspectorprompted。
\"Iwasgoingtosay——thatis——well，ifit\'sanythingaboutMaryTurner，Idon\'tknowathing——notathing!\"
Itwasthethoughtofpossibleperiltoherthatnow，inaninstant，hadcausedhimtoforgethisownmortaldanger。Where，before，hehadbeenshudderingoverthoughtsofthedeath-housecellthatmightbeawaitinghim，henowhadconcernonlyforthesafetyofthewomanhecherished。Andtherewasagreatgriefinhissoul；foritwasborneinonhimthathisownfolly，indisobediencetohercommand，hadleduptothemurderofGriggs——andtoallthatmightcomeofthecrime。Howcouldheevermakeamendstoher？Atleast，hecouldbebravehere，forhersake，ifnotforhisown。
Burkebelievedthathisopportunitywascome。
\"WhatmadeyouthinkIwantedtoknowanythingabouther？\"hequestioned。
\"Oh，Ican\'texactlysay，\"Garsonrepliedcarelessly，inanattempttodissimulatehisagitation。\"Youwereuptothehouse，youknow。Don\'tyousee？\"
\"Ididwanttoseeher，that\'safact，\"Burkeadmitted。Hekeptonwithhiswriting，hisheadbentlow。\"Butshewasn\'tatherflat。Iguessshemusthavetakenmyadvice，andskippedout。
Clevergirl，that!\"
Garsoncontrivedtopresentanaspectofcomparativeindifference。
\"Yes，\"heagreed。\"IwasthinkingofgoingWest，myself，\"heventured。
\"Oh，wereyou？\"Burkeexclaimed；and，now，therewasanewnoteinhisvoice。Hishandslippedintothepocketwherewasthepistol，andclutchedit。HestaredatGarsonfiercely，andspokewitharushofthewords:
\"WhydidyoukillEddieGriggs？\"
\"Ididn\'tkillhim!\"Thereplywasquickenough，butitcameweakly。Again，Garsonwasforcedtowethislipswithadrytongue，andtoswallowpainfully。\"Itellyou，Ididn\'tkillhim!\"herepeatedatlast，withmoreforce。
Burkesneeredhisdisbelief。
\"Youkilledhimlastnight——withthis!\"hecried，viciously。Ontheinstant，thepistolleapedintoview，pointedstraightatGarson。\"Why？\"theInspectorshouted。\"Comeon，now!Why？\"
\"Ididn\'t，Itellyou!\"Garsonwasgrowingstronger，sinceatlastthecrisiswasuponhim。Hegottohisfeetwithlitheswiftnessofmovement，andsprangclosetothedesk。Hebenthisheadforwardchallengingly，tomeettheglareofhisaccuser\'seyes。Therewasnoflinchinginhisownsteelystare。Hisnerveshadceasedtheirjanglingunderthetauteningofnecessity。
\"Youdid!\"Burkevociferated。Heputhiswholewillintotheassertionofguilt，tobatterdowntheman\'sresistance。\"Youdid，Itellyou!Youdid!\"
Garsonleanedstillfurtherforward，untilhisfacewasalmostlevelwiththeInspector\'s。Hiseyeswereuncloudednow，wereblazing。Hisvoicecameresonantinitsdenial。Theentireposeofhimwasintrepid，dauntless。
\"AndItellyou，Ididn\'t!\"
Therepassedmanyseconds，whilethetwomenbattledinsilence，willwarringagainstwill……Intheend，itwasthemurdererwhotriumphed。
Suddenly，Burkedroppedthepistolintohispocket，andlolledbackinhischair。Hisgazefellawayfromthemanconfrontinghim。Inthesameinstant，therigidityofGarson\'sformrelaxed，andhestraightenedslowly。Atideofsecretjoysweptthroughhim，asherealizedhisvictory。Buthisoutwardexpressionremainedunchanged。
\"Oh，well，\"Burkeexclaimedamiably，\"Ididn\'treallythinkyoudid，butIwasn\'tsure，soIhadtotakeachance。Youunderstand，don\'tyou，Joe？\"
\"Sure，Iunderstand，\"Garsonreplied，withanamiabilityequaltotheInspector\'sown。
Burke\'smannercontinuedveryamicableashewentonspeaking。
\"Yousee，Joe，anyhow，we\'vegottherightpartysafeenough。
Youcanbetonthat!\"
Garsonresistedthelure。
\"Ifyoudon\'twantme——\"hebegansuggestively；andheturnedtowardthedoortotheouterhall。\"Why，ifyoudon\'twantme，I\'ll——getalong。\"
\"Oh，what\'sthehurry，Joe？\"Burkeretorted，withtheeffectofstoppingtheothershort。HepressedthebuzzerastheagreedsignaltoCassidy。\"WheredidyousayMaryTurnerwaslastnight？\"
Atthequestion，allGarson\'sfearsforthewomanrushedbackonhimwithappallingforce。Ofwhatavailhissafety，ifshewerestillinperil？
\"Idon\'tknowwhereshewas，\"heexclaimed，doubtfully。Herealizedhisblunderevenasthewordslefthislips，andsoughttocorrectitasbesthemight。\"Why，yes，Ido，too，\"hewenton，asifassailedbysuddenmemory。\"Idroppedintoherplacekindoflate，andtheysaidshe\'dgonetobed——headache，I
guess……Yes，shewashome，ofcourse。Shedidn\'tgooutofthehouse，allnight。\"Hisinsistenceonthepointwasofitselfsuspicious，buteagernesstoprotectherstultifiedhiswits。
Burkesatgrimandsilent，offeringnocommentonthelie。
\"KnowanythingaboutyoungGilder？\"hedemanded。\"Happentoknowwhereheisnow？\"Hearoseandcamearoundthedesk，sothathestoodclosetoGarson，atwhomheglowered。
\"Notathing!\"wastheearnestanswer。Butthespeaker\'sfearroseswiftly，forthelinkingofthesenameswassignificant——frightfullysignificant!
Theinnerdooropened，andMaryTurnerenteredtheoffice。
Garsonwithdifficultysuppressedthecryofdistressthatrosetohislips。Forafewmoments，thesilencewasunbroken。Then，presently，Burke，byagesture，directedthegirltoadvancetowardthecenteroftheroom。Assheobeyed，hehimselfwentalittletowardthedoor，and，whenitopenedagain，andDickGilderappeared，heinterposedtochecktheyoungman\'srushforwardashisgazefellonhisbride，whostoodregardinghimwithsadeyes。
Garsonstaredmutelyattheburlymaninuniformwhoheldtheirdestiniesinthehollowofahand。Hislipspartedasifhewereabouttospeak。Then，hebadedefiancetotheimpulse。Hedeemeditsaferforallthatheshouldsaynothing——now!……Anditisveryeasytosayawordtoomany。Andthatonemaybeawordnevertobeunsaid——orgainsaid。
Then，whilestillthatcurious，dynamicsilenceendured，Cassidycamebrisklyintotheoffice。Bysomemagicofduty，hehadcontrivedtogivehisusuallyhebetudinousfeaturesanexpressionofenthusiasm。
\"Say，Chief，\"thedetectivesaidrapidly，\"they\'vesquealed!\"
Burkeregardedhisaidewithanairintolerablytriumphant。Hisvoicecamesmug:
\"Squealed，eh？\"HisglanceranoverGarsonforasecond，thenmadeitsinquisitionofMaryandofDickGilder。HedidnotgivealooktoCassidyasheputhisquestion。\"Dotheytellthesamestory？\"Andthen，whenthedetectivehadansweredintheaffirmative，hewentonspeakingintonesponderouswithself-complacency；and，now，hiseyesheldsharply，craftily，onthewoman。
\"Iwasrightthen，afterall——right，allthetime!Goodenough!\"
Ofasudden，hisvoiceboomedsomberly。\"MaryTurner，Iwantyouforthemurderof——\"
Garson\'srushhaltedthesentence。Hehadleapedforward。Hisfacewasrigid。HebrokeontheInspector\'swordswithagestureoffury。Hisvoicecameinahiss:
\"That\'sadamnedlie!……Ididit!\"
CHAPTERXXIV。ANGUISHANDBLISS。
JoeGarsonhadshoutedhisconfessionwithoutasecondofreflection。Buttheresultmusthavebeenthesamehadhetakenyearsofthought。Betweenhimandherasthevictimofthelaw，therecouldbenohesitationforchoice。Indeed，justnow，hehadnoheedtohisownfate。Theprimenecessitywastosaveher，Mary，fromthetoilsofthelawthatwereclosingaroundher。Forhimself，inthedaystocome，therewouldbeaghastlydread，buttherewouldneverberegretoverthecostofsavingher。Perhaps，someotherhemighthaveletsufferinhisstead——nother!Even，hadhebeeninnocent，andsheguiltyofthecrime，hewouldstillhavetakentheburdenofitonhisownshoulders。Hehadsavedherfromthewaters——hewouldsaveheruntiltheend，asfarasthepowerinhimmightlie。Itwasthusthat，withtheprimitivedirectnessofhisreverentialloveforthegirl，hecountednosacrificetoogreatinherbehalf。JoeGarsonwasnotagoodman，attheworldesteemsgoodness。Onthecontrary，hewasdistinctlyanevilone，amenacetothesocietyonwhichhepreyedconstantly。Buthisgoodqualities，iffew，wereofthestrongestfiber，rootedinthedeepsofhim。Heloathedtreachery。Hisoneguiltinessinthisrespecthadbeen，curiouslyenough，towardMaryherself，intheschemeoftheburglary，whichshehadforbidden。But，inthelastanalysis，herehisdeceithadbeendesignedtobringaffluencetoher。Itwashisabhorrenceoftreacheryamongpalsthathaddrivenhimtothemurderofthestool-pigeoninafitofungovernablepassion。
Hemighthavestayedhishandthen，butforthegustyragethatswepthimontothecrime。Nonetheless，hadhesparedtheman，hishatredofthebetrayerwouldhavebeenthesame……AndtheothervirtueofJoeGarsonwasthecomplementofthis——hisownloyalty，aloyaltythatmadehimforgetselfutterlywhereheloved。TheonewomanwhohadeverfilledhisheartwasMary，andforherhislifewerenottoomuchtogive。
ThesuddennessofitallheldMaryvoicelessforlongseconds。
Shewasfrozenwithhorroroftheevent。
When，atlast，wordscame，theywereafranticprayerofprotest。
\"No，Joe!No!Don\'ttalk——don\'ttalk!\"
Burke，immenselygratified，wentnimblytohischair，andthencesurveyedtheagitatedgroupwithgrislypleasure。
\"Joehastalked，\"hesaid，significantly。
Mary，shakenasshewasbythefactofGarson\'sconfession，neverthelessretainedherpresenceofmindsufficientlytoresistwithallherstrength。
\"Hedidittoprotectme，\"shestated，earnestly。
TheInspectordisdainedsuchfutileargument。Asthedoormanappearedinanswertothebuzzer，hedirectedthatthestenographerbesummonedatonce。
\"We\'llhavetheconfessionindueform，\"heremarked，gazingpleasedlyonthethreebeforehim。
\"He\'snotgoingtoconfess，\"Maryinsisted，withspirit。
ButBurkewasnotintheleastimpressed。Hedisregardedhercompletely，andspokemechanicallytoGarsontheformalwarningrequiredbythelaw。
\"Youareherebycautionedthatanythingyousaymaybeusedagainstyou。\"Then，asthestenographerentered，hewentonwithlivelyinterest。\"Now，Joe!\"
Yetonceagain，Maryprotested，alittlewildly。
\"Don\'tspeak，Joe!Don\'tsayawordtillwecangetalawyerforyou!\"
Themanmetherpleadingeyessteadily，andshookhisheadinrefusal。
\"It\'snouse，mygirl，\"Burkebrokein，harshly。\"ItoldyouI\'dgetyou。I\'mgoingtotryyouandGarson，andthewholegangformurder——yes，everyoneofyou……Andyou，Gilder，\"hecontinued，loweringontheyoungmanwhohaddefiedhimsoobstinately，\"you\'llgototheHouseofDetentionasamaterialwitness。\"HeturnedhisgazetoGarsonagain，andspokeauthoritatively:\"Comeonnow，Joe!\"
Garsonwentasteptowardthedesk，andspokedecisively。
\"IfIcomethrough，you\'lllethergo——andhim？\"headdedasanafterthought，withanodtowardDickGilder。
\"Oh，Joe，don\'t!\"Marycried，bitterly。\"We\'llspendeverydollarwecanraisetosaveyou!\"
\"Now，it\'snouse，\"theInspectorcomplained。\"You\'reonlywastingtime。He\'ssaidthathedidit。That\'sallthereistoit。Nowthatwe\'resurehe\'sourman，hehasn\'tgotachanceintheworld。\"
\"Well，howaboutit？\"Garsondemanded，savagely。\"Dotheygoclear，ifIcomethrough？\"
\"We\'llgetthebestlawyersinthecountry，\"Marypersisted，desperately。\"We\'llsaveyou，Joe——we\'llsaveyou!\"
Garsonregardedthedistraughtgirlwithwistfuleyes。Buttherewasnotraceofyieldinginhisvoiceashereplied，thoughhespokeverysorrowfully。
\"No，youcan\'thelpme，\"hesaid，simply。\"Mytimehascome，Mary……AndIcansaveyoualotoftrouble。\"
\"He\'srightthere，\"Burkeejaculated。\"We\'vegothimcold。So，what\'stheuseofdraggingyoutwointoit？\"
\"Then，theygoclear？\"Garsonexclaimed，eagerly。\"Theyain\'teventobecalledaswitnesses？\"
Burkenoddedassent。
\"You\'reon!\"heagreed。
\"Then，heregoes!\"Garsoncried；andhelookedexpectantlytowardthestenographer。
Thestrainofitallwassappingthewillofthegirl，whosawthemanshesogreatlyesteemedforhisservicetoherandhisdevotionabouttocondemnhimselftodeath。Shegrewhalf-hysterical。Herwordscameconfusedly:
\"No，Joe!No，no，no!\"
Again，Garsonshookhisheadinabsoluterefusalofherplea。
\"There\'snootherwayout，\"hedeclared，wearily。\"I\'mgoingthroughwithit。\"Hestraightenedalittle，andagainlookedatthestenographer。Hisvoicecamequietly，withoutanytremulousnesss。
\"MynameisJoeGarson。\"
\"Alias？\"Burkesuggested。
\"Aliasnothing!\"camethesharpretort。\"Garson\'smymonaker。I
shotEnglishEddie，becausehewasaskunk，andastool-pigeon，andhegotjustwhatwascomingtohim。\"Vituperationbeyondthemerewordsbeatinhisvoicenow。
Burketwisteduneasilyinhischair。
\"Now，now!\"heobjected，severely。\"Wecan\'ttakeaconfessionlikethat。\"
Garsonshookhishead——spokewithfiercerhatred。\"becausehewasaskunk，andastool-pigeon，\"herepeated。\"Haveyougotit？\"
Andthen，asthestenographernoddedassent，hewenton，lessviolently:\"Icroakedhimjustashewasgoingtocallthebullswithapolice-whistle。Iusedagunwithsmokelesspowder。IthadaMaximsilenceronit，sothatitdidn\'tmakeanynoise。\"
Garsonpaused，andthesetdespairofhisfeatureslightenedalittle。Intohisvoicecameatoneofexultationindescribablyghastly。Itwasbornoftheeternalegotismofthecriminal，fatteningvanityingloatingoverhisingenuityforevil。
Garson，despitehistwogreatvirtues，hadthevicesofhisclass。Now，hestaredatBurkewithaquizzicalgrincrookinghislips。
\"Say，\"heexclaimed，\"I\'llbetit\'sthefirsttimeaguywasevercroakedwithoneofthemthings!Ain\'tit？\"
TheInspectornoddedaffirmation。Therewassincereadmirationinhisexpression，forhewasreadyatalltimestorespectthepersonalabilitiesofthecriminalsagainstwhomhewagedrelentlesswar。
\"That\'sright，Joe!\"hesaid，withperceptibleenthusiasm。
\"Someclasstothat，eh？\"Garsondemanded，stillwiththatgruesomeairofboasting。\"Igotthegun，andtheMaxim-silencerthing，offafenceinBoston，\"heexplained。\"Say，thatthingcostmesixtydollars，andit\'swortheverycentofthemoney……
Why，they\'llremembermeasthefirsttospringoneofthemthings，won\'tthey？\"
\"Theysurewill，Joe!\"theInspectorconceded。
\"NobodyknewIhadit，\"Garsoncontinued，droppinghisbraggartmannerabruptly。
Atthewords，Marystarted，andherlipsmovedasifshewereabouttospeak。
Garson，intentonheralways，thoughheseemedtolookonlyatBurke，observedtheeffectonher，andrepeatedhiswordsswiftly，withawarningemphasisthatgavethegirlpause。
\"NobodyknewIhadit——nobodyintheworld!\"hedeclared。\"Andnobodyhadanythingtodowiththekillingbutme。\"
Burkeputaquestionthatwastroublinghimmuch，concerningthemotivethatlaybehindtheshootingofGriggs。
\"WasthereanybadfeelingbetweenyouandEddieGriggs？\"
Garson\'sreplywasexplicit。
\"Nevertillthatveryminute。Then，Ilearnedthetruthaboutwhathe\'dframedupwithyou。\"Thespeaker\'svoicerevertedtoitsformerfiercenessinrecollectionofthetreacheryofonewhomhehadtrusted。
\"Hewasastool-pigeon，andIhatedhisguts!That\'sall，\"heconcluded，withbrutalcandor。
TheInspectormovedrestlesslyinhischair。Hehadonlydetestationfortheslainman，yettherewassomethingmorbidlydistastefulinthethoughtthathehimselfhadcontrivedthesituationwhichhadresultedinthemurderofhisconfederate。
Itwasonlybyaneffortthatheshookoffthevaguefeelingofguilt。
\"Nothingelsetosay？\"heinquired。
Garsonreflectedforafewseconds，thenmadeagestureofnegation。
\"Nothingelse，\"hedeclared。\"Icroakedhim，andI\'mgladIdoneit。Hewasaskunk。That\'sall，andit\'senough。Andit\'salltrue，sohelpmeGod!\"
TheInspectornoddeddismissaltothestenographer，withanairofrelief。
\"That\'sall，Williams，\"hesaid，heavily。\"He\'llsignitassoonasyou\'vetranscribedthenotes。\"
Then，asthestenographerlefttheroom，Burketurnedhisgazeonthewoman，whostoodthereinapostureofcompletedejection，herwhite，anguishedfacedowncast。TherewastriumphintheInspector\'svoiceasheaddressedher，forhisprofessionalpridewasfull-fedbythisvictoryoverhisfoes。Buttherewas，too，anundertoneofafeelingsofterthanpride，moregenerous，somethingakintorealcommiserationforthisunhappygirlwhodroopedbeforehim，sufferingsopoignantlyintheknowledgeofthefatethatawaitedthemanwhohadsavedher，whohadlovedhersounselfishly\"Youngwoman，\"Burkesaidbriskly，\"it\'sjustlikeItoldyou。
Youcan\'tbeatthelaw。Garsonthoughthecould——andnow——!\"
Hebrokeoff，withawaveofhishandtowardthemanwhohadjustsentencedhimselftodeathintheelectric-chair。
\"That\'sright，\"Garsonagreed，withsomberintensity。Hiseyesweregrowncloudedagainnow，andhisvoicedraggedleaden。
\"That\'sright，Mary，\"herepeateddully，afteralittlepause。
\"Youcan\'tbeatthelaw!\"
Therefollowedaperiodofsilence，inwhichgreatemotionswerevibrantfromhearttoheart。GarsonwasthinkingofMary，and，withthethought，intohismiserycreptalittlecomfort。Atleast，shewouldgofree。ThathadbeeninthebargainwithBurke。Andtherewastheboy，too。HiseyesshotasingleswiftglancetowardDickGilder，andhissatisfactionincreasedashenotedthealertpoiseoftheyoungman\'sbody，thestrainedexpressionofthestrongface，thegazeofabsorbedyearningwithwhichheregardedMary。Therecouldbenodoubtconcerningthedepthofthelad\'sloveforthegirl。Moreover，thereweremanlyqualitiesinhimtoworkoutallthingsneedfulforherprotectionthroughlife。Already，hehadprovedhisdevotion，andthatabundantly，hisunswervingfidelitytoher，andtheforcewithinhimthatmadetheseworthyinsomemeasureofher。
Garsonfeltnoleastpangofjealousy。Thoughhelovedthewomanwiththesingleloveofhislife，hehadnever，somehow，hopedaughtforhimself。Therewasevensomethingalmostofthepaternalinthepurityofhislove，asif，indeed，bythefactofrestoringhertolifehehadtakenonhimselftheresponsibilityofaparent。Heknewthattheboyworshipedher，woulddohisbestforher，thatthisbestwouldsufficeforherhappinessintime。Garson，withtheinstinctoflove，guessedthatMaryhadintruthgivenherheartallunawaretothehusbandwhomshehadfirstluredonlyforthelustofrevenge。Garsonnoddedhisheadinamelancholysatisfaction。Hislifewasdone:herswasjustbeginning，now……Butshewouldrememberhim——oh，yes，always!
Marywasloyal。
Themancheckedthetrendofhisthoughtsbyamightyeffortofwill。Hemustnotgrowmaudlinhere。HespokeagaintoMary，withacertaindignity。
\"No，youcan\'tbeatthelaw!\"Hehesitatedalittle，thenwenton，withacertaincuriousembarrassment。\"Andthissameoldlawsaysawomanmuststicktoherman。\"
Thegirl\'seyesmethiswithpassionatesorrowintheirmistydeeps。GarsongaveasignificantglancetowardDickGilder，thenhisgazereturnedtoher。Therewasasmolderingdespairinthatlook。Therewere，aswell，anentreatyandacommand。
\"So，\"hewenton，\"youmustgoalongwithhim，Mary……
Won\'tyou？It\'sthebestthingtodo。\"
Thegirlcouldnotanswer。Therewasaclutchonherthroatjustthen，whichwouldnotrelaxatthecallofherwill。
Thetensionofamomentgrew，becamepervasive。Burke，accustomedashewastoscenesofdramaticviolence，nowexperiencedanaltogetherunfamiliarthrill。AsforGarson，onceagainthesurgeoffeelingthreatenedtooverwhelmhisself-control。Hemustnotbreakdown!ForMary\'ssake，hemustshowhimselfstoical，quiteundisturbedinthissupremehour。
Ofasudden，aninspirationcametohim，ameanstosnapthetension，tocreateadiversionwhollyefficacious。Hewouldturntohisboastingagain，wouldcalluponhisvanity，whichheknewwellashischieffoible，andmakeitserveasthefoilagainsthislove。Hestrovemanfullytothrowoffthesoftermood。Inameasure，atleast，hewonthefight——thoughalways，undertherushofthisvaunting，therethrobbedtheanguishofhisheart。
\"Youwanttocutoutworryingaboutme，\"hecounseled，bravely。
\"Why，Iain\'tworryingany，myself——notalittlebit!Yousee，it\'ssomethingnewI\'vepulledoff。Nobodyeverputoveranythinglikeitbefore。\"
HefacedBurkewithagrinofgloatingagain。
\"I\'llbetthere\'llbealotofstuffinthenewspapersaboutthis，andmypicture，too，inmostof\'em!What？\"
Theman\'smannerimposedonBurke，thoughMaryfeltthetormentthathisvaingloryingwasmeanttomask。
\"Say，\"GarsoncontinuedtotheInspector，\"ifthereporterswantanypicturesofme，couldIhavesomenewonestaken？Theoneyou\'vegotofmeintheGalleryisovertenyearsold。I\'vetakenoffmybeardsincethen。CanIhaveanewone？\"Heputthequestionwithaneagernessthatseemedallsincere。
Burkeansweredwithafinefeelingofgenerosity。
\"Sure，youcan，Joe!I\'llsendyouuptotheGalleryrightnow。\"
\"Immense!\"Garsoncried，boisterously。HemovedtowardDickGilder，walkingwithafaintsuggestionofswaggertocoverthenervoustremorthathadseizedhim。
\"Solong，youngfellow!\"heexclaimed，andheldouthishand。
\"You\'vebeenonthesquare，andIguessyoualwayswillbe。\"
Dickhadnoscrupleinclaspingthatextendedhandverywarmlyinhisown。Hehadnofeelingofrepulsionagainstthismanwhohadcommittedamurderinhispresence。Thoughhedidnotquiteunderstandtheother\'sheart，hisinstinctasalovertaughthimmuch，sothathepitiedprofoundly——andrespected，too。
\"We\'lldowhatwecanforyou，\"hesaid，simply。
\"That\'sallright，\"Garsonreplied，withsuchcarelessnessofmannerashecouldcontrive。Then，atlast，heturnedtoMary。
Thispartingmustbebitter，andhebracedhimselfwithallthevigorsofhiswilltocombattheweaknessthatleapedfromhissoul。
Ashecamenear，thegirlcouldholdherselfinleashnolonger。
Shethrewherselfonhisbreast。Herarmswreathedabouthisneck。Greatsobsrackedher。
\"Oh，Joe，Joe!\"Thegaspingcrywasofutterdespair。
Garson\'stremblinghandpattedthegirl\'sshoulderverysoftly，acaressofinfinitetenderness。
\"That\'sallright!\"hemurmured，huskily。\"That\'sallright，Mary!\"Therewasashortsilence；andthenhewentonspeaking，morefirmly。\"Youknow，he\'lllookafteryou。\"
Hewouldhavesaidmore，buthecouldnot。Itseemedtohimthatthesobsofthegirlcaughtinhisownthroat。Yet，presently，hestroveonceagain，witheveryreserveofhisstrength；and，finally，hesofarmasteredhimselfthathecouldspeakcalmly。
Thewordswereutteredwithasubtlerenunciationthatwasthisman\'sreligion。
\"Yes，he\'lltakecareofyou。Why，I\'dliketoseethetwoofyouwithaboutthreekiddiesplayingroundthehouse。\"
Helookedupoverthegirl\'sshoulder，andbeckonedwithhisheadtoDick，whocameforwardatthesummons。
\"Takegoodcareofher，won\'tyou？\"
Hedisengagedhimselfgentlyfromthegirl\'sembrace，andsetherwithinthearmsofherhusband，wheresherestedquietly，asifunabletofightlongeragainstfate\'sdecree。
\"Well，solong!\"
Hedarednotutteranotherword，butturnedblindly，andwent，stumblingalittle，towardthedoorman，whohadappearedinanswertotheInspector\'scall。
\"TotheGallery，\"Burkeordered，curtly。
Garsonwentonwithouteveraglanceback……Hisstrengthwasatanend。
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TherewasalongsilenceintheroomafterGarson\'spassing。Itwasbroken，atlast，bytheInspector，whogotupfromhischair，andadvancedtowardthehusbandandwife。Inhishand，hecarriedasheetofpaper，roughlyscrawled。Ashestoppedbeforethetwo，andclearedhisthroat，MarywithdrewherselffromDick\'sarms，andregardedtheofficialwithbroodingeyesfromoutherwhiteface。Somethingstrangeinherenemy\'sexpressioncaughtherattention，somethingthatsetnewhopesalivewithinherinafashionwhollyinexplicable，sothatshewaitedwithasudden，breathlesseagerness。
Burkeextendedthesheetofpapertothehusband。
\"There\'sadocument，\"hesaidgruffly。\"It\'saletterfromoneHelenMorris，inwhichshesetsforththeinterestingfactthatshepulledoffatheftintheEmporium，forwhichyourMrs。
Gilderheredidtime。Youknow，yourfathergotyourMrs。Gildersentupforthreeyearsforthatsamejob——whichshedidn\'tdo!
That\'swhyshehadsuchagrudgeagainstyourfather，andagainstthelaw，too!\"
Burkechuckled，astheyoungmantookthepaper，wonderingly。
\"Idon\'tknowthatIblamehermuchforthatgrudge，whenall\'ssaidanddone……Yougivethatdocumenttoyourfather。Itsetsherright。He\'sajustmanaccordingtohislights，yourfather。
He\'lldoallhecantomakethingsrightforher，nowheknows。\"
Onceagain，theInspectorpausedtochuckle。
\"Iguessshe\'llkeepwithinthelawfromnowon，\"hecontinued，contentedly，\"withoutgettingalawyertotellherhow……Now，youtwolisten。I\'vegottogooutaminute。WhenIgetback，I
don\'twanttofindanybodyhere——notanybody!Doyougetme？\"
Hestrodefromtheroom，fearfullestfurtherdelaymightinvolvehiminsentimentalthanksgivingsfromoneortheother，orboth——andBurkehatedsentimentassomethingdistinctlyunprofessional。
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Whentheofficialwasgone，thetwostoodstaringmutelyeachattheotherthroughlongseconds。Whatshereadintheman\'seyessetthewoman\'shearttobeatingwithanewdelight。Abloomofexquisiterosegrewinthepallorofhercheeks。Themistylightinthevioleteyesshonemoreradiant，yetmoresoftly。Thecrimsonlipscurvedtostrangetenderness……Whathereadinhereyessetthehusband\'spulsestobounding。Heopenedhisarmsinanappealthatwasacommand。Marywentforwardslowly，withouthesitation，inablissthatforgoteverysorrowforthatblessedmoment，andcastherselfonhisbreast。