He nodded abruptly in the direction of Julia's revolver.
"I don't see that I'm in a witness box!" Marston answered, viciously.
"Take comfort," retorted Glenning, evenly. "You will be if you live long enough. We are wasting time and bandying words to no purpose," he resumed briskly. "I met a young lady coming from your house in evident distress a few moments ago. She was riding hard and she was scared. Did you scare her, and had she anything to do with that revolver?"
The words of the last sentence came hard as lead bullets against Marston's ears, and frightened him. The face of his caller had suddenly grown white and fierce. Glenning's knotted fists were writhing under his folded arms. Marston knew he had better speak, and speak the truth.
"She came to see me of her own free will. I invited her in, and she drew her pistol on me. I knocked it out of her hand to keep from getting shot."
"A likely tale, and the skeleton of truth alone, I daresay. What did she want with you?"
A smile of triumph lit the dark features of the hybrid.
"Something you could not give her, but I could!—Julia Dudley came for a favour to me!"
"Keep her name out of it, damn you!"
Glenning, white hot, drew two steps nearer, though still holding himself in check.