"No," she said, after a minute's thought; "I do not persist in it."
"You admit," he said, with righteous indignation blazing under the even surface of his voice, "that you did all this?"
"No," said the girl; "I do not admit it. If you saw it, there is no question of my denying it or admitting it Either the thing is certain, or you have made a great mistake."
"Why not confess openly, Melicent?"
"I have nothing to confess."
"This is mere quibbling," he said, still temperately. "But what you have said I consider tantamount to a confession. One thing, and one alone, you can do to lessen your guilt. Give me the name of the man who has violated my home, insulted my office and degraded my niece."
She was silent
"You will not?"
"I cannot."
"You mean you will not."