“I have since discovered that my conjectures were all mistakes.”
“That will do, Mr. Stone!”
Blake turned quickly upon Katherine. “Well, now what have you got to say?” he demanded.
She could have laughed in her joy.
“First of all,” she called to the withdrawing detective, “I have this to say to you, Mr. Stone. When you sold out to these people, I hope you made them pay you well.”
The detective flushed, but he had no chance to reply.
“This is no time for levity, Miss West!” Blake said sharply. “Now you see your predicament. Now you see what sort of testimony your libel is built upon.”
“But my libel is not built upon that testimony.”
“Not built——” He now first observed that Katherine was smiling. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. That my story is not based on Mr. Stone’s testimony.”