"You ain't got the police, sir."
"No!"
"Samson! Samson!" wailed his mother, clinging to him, "say it was not you killed the master!"
"Quiet, mother!" said her son, replacing her in the chair, "I can tell my own story."
"You are innocent?" asked Mrs. Belswin, impulsively.
"Innocent!" repeated Belk, with scorn, "if I wasn't I'd have been off to the States by this time. Sit down, gentlemen: sit down, madam, I can tell you the truth."
All resumed their seats mechanically; but Belk leaned his mighty frame against the wall and looked at them quietly. From Ferrari his eyes wandered to Maxwell, and finally rested on Mrs. Belswin with a curious expression, at which she turned pale.
"My God!" she murmured, clasping her hands tightly, "what is he going to say?"
Belk guessed her thoughts, and reassured her at once.
"My story's only about myself," he said, abruptly looking at her again, upon which she thanked him with a silent look of gratitude, although she felt a thrill of fear at the thought that perhaps he knew her secret.