"Believe it?" she said. "No more than God believes it! The question is now, how to help Richard."
"Have you heard from him?"
She took from her dress a folded leaf torn from a pocket-book. "You are his friend. You may read it. Wait, I will hold it." She laid it before him, holding it in her slight, fine, strong fingers.
He read. Judith: You will hear of the fate of the 65th. How it happened I do not yet understand. It is like death on my heart. You will hear, too, of my own trouble. As to me, believe only that I could sit beside you and talk to-day as we talked awhile ago, in the sunset. Richard.
She refolded the paper and put it back. "The evidence will clear him," said Allan. "It must. The very doubt is absurd."
Her face lightened. "General Jackson will see that he was hasty—unjust. I can understand such anger at first, but later, when he reflects—Richard will be declared innocent—"
"Yes. An honourable acquittal. It will surely be so."
"I am glad I came. You have always known him and been his friend."
"Let me tell you the kind of things I know of Richard Cleave. No, it doesn't hurt me to talk."
"I can stay a little longer. Yes, tell me."