James looked perplexed: “Sit down in your chair,” he said. Henry obeyed, and presently James awoke him; he stretched out his arms, yawning sleepily. “I feel awfully tired, suppose we go to bed!” Evidently he had no remembrance of the hypnotic sleep.
They at once retired; Henry sank immediately into a profound slumber, but James lay for a long time troubling over an idea which had taken possession of his mind. He did not believe Henry guilty of stealing the money, but he believed that he was shielding the person who did take it. Could it be Marjy? The thought made the cold sweat start out on his face; the next instant, when he remembered Marjy’s frank eyes as she appealed to him to try his hypnotic power over Henry, he felt ashamed of the thought; her idea was merely to tease Henry for his strenuous opposition to it, if he could be made to succumb to the influence; but James had an altogether different idea, which he did not mention; as I have said, he believed that Henry knew more about the money than he professed to know. Now, after his experiment, he was completely at a loss; he could form no opinion. He was surprised that he found him so easy a subject; it was perhaps owing to his mental depression, and consequent relaxation of will power.
James had said to Marjy that afternoon, “Perhaps Henry did take the money!”
“I know that he did not!” she answered hotly.
“How do you know that?”
“Just because I do know; I cannot explain how I know, but I know it!”
James, watching the flush in her cheek, was thinking how becoming a touch of anger was to her, but he laughed gayly as he replied: “Woman’s reason; logical of course; just because!”
This returned to him as he lay there too perplexed to sleep. “She is right about it; he did not take the money, or else he would have betrayed it; and this knocks my theory all to pieces, as well; he would have told if he knew who did take it. Confound the whole business! What is it to me, that I should worry over it?” He turned restlessly in the bed, trying to get to sleep.
Presently Henry began to mutter. James grumbled at this fresh annoyance. “I had best have stayed at home,” he said.
Henry lifted himself upon his elbow, whispering rapidly.