Judge Houston stepped back from him, surprised into a short silence by the wild expression in Sargent's eyes.
"Yes—how did you guess it?"
"Thank God!"
The words escaped Sargent in a sob that was the concentrated expression of his suffering. He sank into a familiar chair beside the table, and let his head drop into his hands.
The old man looked at him in silence, surprise, sympathy and fear glowing in his clear blue eyes. Finally he walked over to Sargent and rested his hand on the young fellow's shoulder.
"What is it, boy? What is troubling you so?"
"It is only the relief your words have given me. My only fear was that I might be mistaken."
The Judge's brow was wrinkled a long time as he puzzled over the words.
"Were you so anxious to have the case?" he asked. "You know, I was half afraid you might not want it."
Sargent lifted his face and met the kind eyes. "Yes, I want it! I'm going to make it the case of my life! It will be my first, but I'm going to make it the greatest one of my career. If I ever go down in history as a big man, this case will be the great one of them all!"