Mason pounced upon the uneasy expression which crept into her eyes, as an alert cat jumps on a mouse. “Have you,” he asked, “ever supported your brother?”
“Why... I hardly know how to answer that question.”
“A lawyer,” Mason observed, “would ask you to answer it ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
“Why, I suppose every sister helps out her brother from time to time. She’d be a poor sister if she didn’t.”
“Exactly,” Mason agreed. “That brings us to the question of what you mean by ‘from time to time.’”
“Why, whenever a man finds himself in a pinch, or when there’s an emergency.”
“Has your brother ever given anything to you for your support?” Mason asked.
“No, I was thrown out on the world when I was a child. I had to earn my own way.”
“But you’ve helped out your brother?”
“Yes.”