"I don't account for it," she replied, as she resumed her seat. "He says he didn't confess. I don't believe he did."
"But three witnesses——"
"Who are the witnesses?" she interrupted contemptuously. "Policemen!"
"That makes no difference," he said. "He made a confession and signed——"
Annie leaned forward. What did this questioning mean? Was the judge becoming interested after all? Her heart gave a leap as she answered eagerly:
"He confessed against his will. I mean—he didn't know what he was doing at the time. I've had a talk with the physician who was called in—Dr. Bernstein. He says that Captain Clinton is a hypnotist, that he can compel people to say what he wants them to say. Well, Howard is—what they call a subject—they told him he did it till he believed he did."
She looked narrowly at the lawyer to see what effect her words were having, but to her great disappointment the judge was apparently paying not the slightest attention. He was gazing out of the window and drumming his fingers absent-mindedly on the desk. Utterly discouraged, she again rose.
"Oh, well, what's the use——?"
The judge quickly put out his hand and partly pushed her back in the chair.
"Don't go," he said. Then he added: