within the law-第8部分

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f　which　the　man　was　the　present　agent。　　As　the　pair　came　thus　falteringly　into　the　center　of　the　room；　Sarah　at　last　found　her　voice　for　an　expression　of　sympathy。

〃I'm　sorry；　Mary；〃　she　said；　hesitatingly。　　〃I'm　terribly　sorry；　terribly　sorry！〃　

The　girl；　who　had　halted　when　the　officer　halted；　as　a　matter　of　course；　did　not　look　up。　　She　stood　still；　swaying　a　little　as　if　from　weakness。　　Her　voice　was　lifeless。

〃Are　you？〃　　she　said。　　〃I　did　not　know。　　Nobody　has　been　near　me　the　whole　time　I　have　been　in　the　Tombs。〃　　There　was　infinite　pathos　in　the　tones　as　she　repeated　the　words　so　fraught　with　dreadfulness。　　〃Nobody　has　been　near　me！〃　

The　secretary　felt　a　sudden　glow　of　shame。　　She　realized　the　justice　of　that　unconscious　accusation；　for；　till　to…day；　she　had　had　no　thought　of　the　suffering　girl　there　in　the　prison。　　To　assuage　remorse；　she　sought　to　give　evidence　as　to　a　prevalent　sympathy。

〃Why；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃there　was　Helen　Morris　to…day！　She　has　been　asking　about　you　again　and　again。　She's　all　broken　up　over　your　trouble。〃

But　the　effort　on　the　secretary's　part　was　wholly　without　success。

〃Who　is　Helen　Morris？〃　　the　lifeless　voice　demanded。　There　was　no　interest　in　the　question。

Sarah　experienced　a　momentary　astonishment；　for　she　was　still　remembering　the　feverish　excitement　displayed　by　the　salesgirl；　who　had　declared　herself　to　be　a　most　intimate　friend　of　the　convict。　　But　the　mystery　was　to　remain　unsolved；　since　Gilder　now　entered　the　office。　He　walked　with　the　quick；　bustling　activity　that　was　ordinarily　expressed　in　his　every　movement。　　He　paused　for　an　instant；　as　he　beheld　the　two　visitors　in　the　center　of　the　room；　then　he　spoke　curtly　to　the　secretary；　while　crossing　to　his　chair　at　the　desk。

〃You　may　go；　Sarah。　　I　will　ring　when　I　wish　you　again。〃

There　followed　an　interval　of　silence；　while　the　secretary　was　leaving　the　office　and　the　girl　with　her　warder　stood　waiting　on　his　pleasure。　　Gilder　cleared　his　throat　twice　in　an　embarrassment　foreign　to　him；　before　finally　he　spoke　to　the　girl。　　At　last；　the　proprietor　of　the　store　expressed　himself　in　a　voice　of　genuine　sympathy；　for　the　spectacle　of　wo　presented　there　before　his　very　eyes　moved　him　to　a　real　distress；　since　it　was　indeed　actual；　something　that　did　not　depend　on　an　appreciation　to　be　developed　out　of　imagination。

〃My　girl；〃　Gilder　said　gentlyhis　hard　voice　was　softened　by　an　honest　regret〃my　girl；　I　am　sorry　about　this。〃

〃You　should　be！〃　came　the　instant　answer。　　Yet；　the　words　were　uttered　with　a　total　lack　of　emotion。　　It　seemed　from　their　intonation　that　the　speaker　voiced　merely　a　statement　concerning　a　recondite　matter　of　truth；　with　which　sentiment　had　nothing　whatever　to　do。　But　the　effect　on　the　employer　was　unfortunate。　　It　aroused　at　once　his　antagonism　against　the　girl。　　His　instinct　of　sympathy　with　which　he　had　greeted　her　at　the　outset　was　repelled；　and　made　of　no　avail。　　Worse；　it　was　transformed　into　an　emotion　hostile　to　the　one　who　thus　offended　him　by　rejection　of　the　well…meant　kindliness　of　his　address

〃Come；　come！〃　he　exclaimed；　testily。　　〃That's　no　tone　to　take　with　me。〃

〃Why？　　What　sort　of　tone　do　you　expect　me　to　take？〃　　was　the　retort　in　the　listless　voice。　　Yet；　now；　in　the　dullness　ran　a　faint　suggestion　of　something　sinister。

〃I　expected　a　decent　amount　of　humility　from　one　in　your　position；〃　was　the　tart　rejoinder　of　the　magnate。

Life　quickened　swiftly　in　the　drooping　form　of　the　girl。　　Her　muscles　tensed。　　She　stood　suddenly　erect；　in　the　vigor　of　her　youth　again。　　Her　face　lost　in　the　same　second　its　bleakness　of　pallor。　　The　eyes　opened　widely；　with　startling　abruptness；　and　looked　straight　into　those　of　the　man　who　had　employed　her。

〃Would　you　be　humble；〃　she　demanded；　and　now　her　voice　was　become　softly　musical；　yet　forbidding；　too；　with　a　note　of　passion；　〃would　you　be　humble　if　you　were　going　to　prison　for　three　yearsfor　something　you　didn't　do？〃　

There　was　anguish　in　the　cry　torn　from　the　girl's　throat　in　the　sudden　access　of　despair。　　The　words　thrilled　Gilder　beyond　anything　that　he　had　supposed　possible　in　such　case。　　He　found　himself　in　this　emergency　totally　at　a　loss；　and　moved　in　his　chair　doubtfully；　wishing　to　say　something；　and　quite　unable。　　He　was　still　seeking　some　question；　some　criticism；　some　rebuke；　when　he　was　unfeignedly　relieved　to　hear　the　policeman's　harsh　voice。

〃Don't　mind　her；　sir；〃　Cassidy　said。　　He　meant　to　make　his　manner　very　reassuring。　　〃They　all　say　that。　They　are　innocent；　of　course！　Yepthey　all　say　it。　It　don't　do　'em　any　good；　but　just　the　same　they　all　swear　they're　innocent。　　They　keep　it　up　to　the　very　last；　no　matter　how　right　they've　been　got。〃

The　voice　of　the　girl　rang　clear。　　There　was　a　note　of　insistence　that　carried　a　curious　dignity　of　its　own。　　The　very　simplicity　of　her　statement　might　have　had　a　power　to　convince　one　who　listened　without　prejudice；　although　the　words　themselves　were　of　the　trite　sort　that　any　protesting　criminal　might　utter。

〃I　tell　you；　I　didn't　do　it！〃　

Gilder　himself　felt　the　surge　of　emotion　that　swung　through　these　moments；　but　he　would　not　yield　to　it。　With　his　lack　of　imagination；　he　could　not　interpret　what　this　time　must　mean　to　the　girl　before　him。　　Rather；　he　merely　deemed　it　his　duty　to　carry　through　this　unfortunate　affair　with　a　scrupulous　attention　to　detail；　in　the　fashion　that　had　always　been　characteristic　of　him　during　the　years　in　which　he　had　steadily　mounted　from　the　bottom　to　the　top。

〃What's　the　use　of　all　this　pretense？〃　　he　demanded；　sharply。　　〃You　were　given　a　fair　trial；　and　there's　an　end　of　it。〃

The　girl；　standing　there　so　feebly；　seeming　indeed　to　cling　for　support　to　the　man　who　always　held　her　thus　closely　by　the　wrist；　spoke　again　with　an　astonishing　clearness；　even　with　a　sort　of　vivacity；　as　if　she　explained　easily　something　otherwise　in　doubt。

〃Oh；　no；　I　wasn't！〃　she　contradicted　bluntly；　with　a　singular　confidence　of　assertion。　　〃Why；　if　the　trial　had　been　fair；　I　shouldn't　be　here。〃

The　harsh　voice　of　Cassidy　again　broke　in　on　the　passion　of　the　girl　with　a　professional　sneer。

〃That's　another　thing　they　all　say。〃

But　the　girl　went　on　speaking　fiercely；　impervious　to　the　man's　coarse　sarcasm；　her　eyes；　which　had　deepened　almost　to　purple；　still　fixed　piercingly　on　Gilder；　who；　for　some　reason　wholly　inexplicable　to　him；　felt　himself　strangely　disturbed　under　that　regard。

〃Do　you　call　it　fair　when　the　lawyer　I　had　was　only　a　boyone　whom　the　court　told　me　to　take；　a　boy　trying　his　first　casemy　case；　that　meant　the　ruin　of　my　life？　　My　lawyer！　Why；　he　was　just　getting　experiencegetting　it　at　my　expense！〃　The　girl　paused　as　if　exhausted　by　the　vehemence　of　her　emotion；　and　at　last　the　sparkling　eyes　drooped　and　the　heavy　lids　closed　over　them。　　She　swayed　a　little；　so　that　the　officer　tightened　his　clasp　on　her　wrist。

There　followed　a　few　seconds　of　silence。　　Then　Gilder　made　an　effort　to　shake　off　the　feeling　that　had　so　possessed　him；　and　to　a　certain　degree　he　succeeded。

〃The　jury　found　you　guilty；〃　he　asserted；　with　an　attempt　to　make　his　voice　magisterial　in　its　severity。

Instantly；　Mary　was　aroused　to　a　new　outburst　of　protest。　　Once　again；　her　eyes　shot　their　fires　at　the　man　seated　behind　the　desk；　and　she　went　forward　a　step　imperiously；　dragging　the　officer　in　her　wake。

〃Yes；　the　jury　found　me　guilty；〃　she　agreed；　with　fine　scorn　in　the　musical　cadences　of　her　voice。　　〃Do　you　know　why？　　I　can　tell　you；　Mr。　Gilder。　　It　was　because　they　had　been　out　for　three　hours　without　reaching　a　decision。　　The　evidence　didn't　seem　to　be　quite　enough　for　some　of　them；　after　all。　　Well；　the　judge　threatened　to　lock　them　up　all　night。　　The　men　wanted　to　get　home。　　The　easy　thing　to　do　was　to　find　me　guilty；　and　let　it　go　at　that。　　Was　that　fair；　do　you　think？　　And　that's　not　all；　either。　　Was　it　fair　of　you；　Mr。　Gilder？　　Was　it　fair　of　you　to　come　to　the　court　this　morning；　and　tell　the　judge　that　I　should　be　sent　to　prison　as　a　warning　to　others？〃　

A　quick　flush　burned　on　the　massive　face　of　the　man　whom　she　thus　accused；　and　his　eyes　refused　to　meet　her　steady　gaze　of　reproach。

〃You　know！〃　he　exclaimed；　in　momentary　consternation。　Again；　her　mood　had　affected　his　own；　so　that　through　a　few　hurrying　seconds　he　felt　himself　somehow　guilty　of　wrong　against　this　girl；　so　frank　and　so　rebuking。

〃I　heard　you　in　the　courtroom；〃　she　said。　　〃The　dock　isn't　very　far　from　the　bench　where　you　spoke　to　the　judge　about　my　case。　　Yes；　I　heard　you。　　It　wasn't：　Did　I　do　it？　　Or；　didn't　I　do　it？　　No；　it　was　only　that　I　must　be　made　a　warning　to　others。〃

Again；　silence　fell　for　a　tense　interval。　　Then；　finally；　the　girl　spoke　in　a　different　tone。　　Where　before　her　voice　had　been　vibrant　with　the　instinct　of　complaint　against　the　mockery　of　justice　under　which　she　suffered；　now　there　was　a　deeper　note；　that　of　most　solemn　truth。

〃Mr。　Gilder；〃　she　said　simply；　〃as　God　is　my　judge；　I　am　going　to　prison　for　three　years　for　something　I　didn't　do。〃

But　the　sincerity　of　her　broken　cry　fell　on　unheeding　ears。　　The　coarse　nature　of　the　officer　had　long　ago　lost　whatever　elements　of　softness　there　might　have　been　to　develop　in　a　gentler　occupation。　　As　for　the　owner　of　the　store；　he　was　not　sufficiently　sensitive　to　feel　the　verity　in　the　accents　of　the　speaker。　　Moreover；　he　was　a　man　who　followed　the　conventional；　with　never　a　distraction　due　to　imagination　and　sympathy。　　Just　now；　too；　he　was　experiencing　a　keen　irritation　against　himself　because　of　the　manner　in　which　he　had　been　sensible　to　the　influence　of　her　protestation；　despite　his　will　to　the　contrary。　　That　irritation　against　himself　only　reacted　against　the　girl；　and　caused　him　to　steel　his　heart　to　resist　any　tendency　toward　commiseration。　　So；　this　declaration　of　innocence　was　made　quite　in　vainindeed；　served　rather　to　strengthen　his　disfavor　toward　the　complainant；　and　to　make　his　manner　harsher　when　she　voiced　the　pitiful　question　over　which　she　had　wondered　and　grieved。

〃Why　did　you　ask　the　judge　to　send　me　to　prison？〃　

〃The　thieving　that　has　been　going　on　in　this　store　for　over　a　year　has　got　to　stop；〃　Gilder　answered　emphatically；　with　all　his　usual　energy　of