Ida took a new tack.
“Miss Rainforth,” she said. “I have already said there is no desire on the part of Mr. Carter to do you injury. You are in a peculiar position, and a dangerous one for you. You are liable to that kind of notoriety in an extraordinary case which, to one like you, will be ruin. Your course in self-protection is not in striving to conceal your part in it from us, but, rather, to ask our assistance and our help in keeping your name out of an unpleasant matter.”
The young woman undertook to say something, but Ida went on:
“Wait and hear me out,” she said. “The fact that you won’t speak or will not give the information you evidently are possessed of, and which it is necessary for us to know, will have no effect in preventing us from going on to the end. If we do not find out by one means, we will by another. We never fail.”
These words seemed to impress the young lady, and she stood for a moment silent, with her head bent. Then she said:
“I went to see Mr. Ellison at his apartments the night before the wedding. He was not in when I first entered. Afterward, two men were shown into the room, and I, not desiring to be seen, hid myself from them and heard their conversation while they waited.
“I soon learned that their business was to force Mr. Ellison to help them enter Mr. Sanborn’s house the following day. I also heard that they had learned from Mr. Ellison, a little time previous, the value and kind of the presents that were to be displayed at the reception.
“And I also learned that it was the intention of these men to rob the house at the time of the reception, and that that was the reason for forcing Mr. Ellison to help them to enter.”
“Do you mean,” said Ida, not a little surprised, “that Mr. Ellison was a party to that robbery?”
“I mean nothing of the kind,” said the young lady. “I am sure he was not.”