I am ready to swear that he could not have done it."
"I see: evidence as to character." He sack back into his chair and
thoughtfully stirred his chocolate. "It may weigh with the court.
But I am not the court, and my mere opinions can do nothing for Ned
Tremayne."
Her ladyship looked at him wildly. "The court?" she cried. "Do
you mean that I shall have to give evidence?"
"Naturally," he answered. "You will have to say what you saw."
"But - but I saw nothing."
"Something, I think."
"Yes; but nothing that can matter."
"Still the court will wish to hear it and perhaps to examine you
upon it."
"Oh no, no!" In her alarm shy half rose, then sank again to her
chair. "You must keep me out of this, Terence. I couldn't - I
really couldn't,"
He laughed with an affectation of indulgence, masking something
else.
"Why," he said, "you would not deprive Tremayne of any of the
advantages to be derived from your testimony? Are you not ready
to bear witness as to his character? To swear that from your
knowledge of the man you are sure he could not have done such a
thing? That he is the very soul of honour, a man incapable of
anything base or treacherous or sly?"
And then at last Sylvia, who had been watching them, and seeking
to apply to what she heard the wild expressions that Sir Terence
had used to herself last night, broke into the conversation.
Pages:
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244