"And was Captain Tremayne here when you came out?" asked O'Moy, the
deadly jester.
"Ye-es," she faltered. "I was only a moment or two before yourself."
"You see?" said Sir Terence heavily to Grant, and Grant, with pursed
lips, nodded, his eyes moving from O'Moy to Tremayne.
"But, Sir Terence," cried Tremayne, "I give you my word - I swear to
you - that I know absolutely nothing of how Samoval met his death."
"What were you doing here?" O'Moy asked again, and this time the
sinister, menacing note of derision vibrated clearly in the question.
Tremayne for the first time in his honest, upright life found himself
deliberately choosing between truth and falsehood. The truth would
clear him - since with that truth he would produce witnesses to it,
establishing his movements completely. But the truth would send a
man to his death; and so for the sake of that man's life he was
driven into falsehood.
"I was on my way to see you," he said.
"At midnight?" cried Sir Terence on a note of grim doubt. "To what
purpose?"
"Really, Sir Terence, if my word is not sufficient, I refuse to
submit to cross-examination."
Sir Terence turned to the sergeant of the guard, "How long is it
since Captain Tremayne arrived?" he asked.
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