“You won’t answer, eh? Well, I’ll give your man a chance. Now you, tell me what was that rope for that you brought in?”
The woman tried to reply, but I silenced her. The man glared at me speechless and helpless.
“Your only chance is to tell the truth. You were going to tie me up with it? Confess.”
“No, no, no,” he gasped through his pallid lips.
“You had two ropes; one for me and one for my sister here.”
“No, no, no,” he repeated.
“You know I speak the truth. But if you won’t confess that, tell me why you drugged that coffee you gave me.”
The woman broke out again declaring by all the saints that I must be mad to ask such a question. The man only gazed stupidly at me in silence.
“Let him drink it then,” said Volna; and the woman’s start at the shrewd suggestion told me that it had struck home.
“Yes, that’s the test,” I agreed readily. “Will you get that jug?”