Hilton Cubitt. Don't tell me that she
is in this? Don't tell me that she helped to set a trap for me?"
"Mrs. Hilton Cubitt was seriously injured and is at death's door."
The man gave a hoarse cry of grief which rang through the house.
"You're crazy!" he cried, fiercely. "It was he that was hurt,
not she. Who would have hurt little Elsie? I may have
threatened her, God forgive me, but I would not have touched
a hair of her pretty head. Take it back -- you! Say that she
is not hurt!"
"She was found badly wounded by the side of her dead husband."
He sank with a deep groan on to the settee and buried his face in
his manacled hands. For five minutes he was silent. Then he raised
his face once more, and spoke with the cold composure of despair.
"I have nothing to hide from you, gentlemen," said he.
"If I shot the man he had his shot at me, and there's no murder
in that. But if you think I could have hurt that woman, then you
don't know either me or her. I tell you there was never a man
in this world loved a woman more than I loved her. I had a
right to her. She was pledged to me years ago.
Pages:
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144