"No. If I had been, I'd have turned tail when your friends tried to ruin a business I am interested in, or when they tried to have me caught in a police-raid." Luke spoke as if he were mentioning incidents in the lives of people dead these thousand years. "The raiders didn't find me, as you, of course, know. What you don't know is that the business move has failed just as badly."
If he had not known it, the Judge's face betrayed no surprise.
"Really, Mr. Huber, I told you at our last interview that I had no professional interest in this matter."
"You admitted that the people back of all this were your friends."
"I said that I was a friend of certain persons."
"Then, you might as well say now that your friends intend to prevent my election and that they'll use any means to do it."
"Don't get excited, Mr. Huber." The Judge's right hand waved a deliberate protest against Luke's violent language. "Of course, I say nothing of the sort. What I do say is that you must understand that your own plan of action is bound to alienate the voters. There are more people interested in this election than you and me—more even than my friends. A great many people don't want to see you elected District-Attorney. There are the business men, there are the police, and there are the people of the underworld. You have been reckless enough to make no ethical distinctions. You lump the good with the bad, and attack everybody. Well, you must not be surprised at the result."
Luke kept to his low key.
"I only came here to tell you that I couldn't be scared."
"Why to me?"