“She isn’t sick at all,” said Nick; “she’s wounded.”
“Wounded!”
“Yes. I saw at a glance that she was suffering from a blow with a sharp-pointed instrument. She has been stabbed, probably, with a stiletto.”
“Then it was that man——”
“Either that man or yourself,” said Nick, interrupting.
“But I swear by all that I hold sacred that I never set eyes on the woman before this evening. I was passing along the street when I saw her ahead of me.
“The man whom I described to you had just overtaken her, and they were talking. At that moment a drunken man pushed violently against me. I looked around. He lurched away.
“Then I turned toward Eighth Avenue again, and at that moment I saw the woman fall into the man’s arms, with a low cry. I didn’t see him stab her, and I didn’t see any weapon. I ran up to offer assistance, and he said: ‘This lady is ill. Take her for a moment while I summon assistance. I will ring for an ambulance. It will be the quickest way to get a doctor.’
“I took the woman out of his arms because I couldn’t let her fall on the sidewalk. He hurried away. You know the rest.
“Now, then, I maintain that you have no right to detain me. I’m going home.”