“He did.”
“Then, of course, you knew at once why he was there; that he had stepped in voluntarily to save your brother—not for Will’s sake, perhaps, but for yours?”
“I knew it then—I know it now.”
“And you knew that, rather than let the shame and disgrace and horror come upon you and yours, he would keep it up to the bitter end—that end which is coming to him to-morrow morning?”
“Yes; I knew that, too.”
Jarvis paused, and then he clinched the nail he had driven:
“Have you ever tried to make your father understand all this?”
“Oh, you are hard—bitter hard!” she broke out passionately. “I did try at first, but my father said it wasn’t in human nature. And how could I hope to make him believe it when he was so thoroughly convinced of Mr. Brant’s guilt?”
“None the less, you have it to do. You must convince him, and persuade him to come down to the office with Harry to-night. Luckily, I can help you a little. It so happened that I went to see Brant the same day you saw him. I was with him in less than half an hour after you left him. In that talk I came within one word of making him admit to me that he wasn’t guilty, and also of making him confess that he believed Will did the shooting. Shall I tell you how I know this?”
“If you must—if you will.”