Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The Doctor backed hastily against the library table. “Don’t you come near me!” he stammered. “Don’t you touch me.”
“And you’ve lied to me!” cried Gaylor. “You’ve deceived me. You—you jailbirds—you idiots.” His voice rose hysterically. “And do you think,” he demanded fiercely, “I’ll help you now?”
“No!” said the butler.
The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He turned stupidly as though he had not heard aright. “What?” he asked. From the easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen, hostile eyes.
“No!” he repeated. “We don’t think you’ll help us. You never meant to help us. You’ve never thought of any one but yourself.”
The face of the older man was filled with reproach.
“Jim!” he protested.
“Don’t do that!” commanded the butler sharply. “I’ve told you not to do that.”
The Judge moved his head slowly in amazement. The tone of reproach was still in his voice.
“I thought you could understand,” he said. “It doesn’t matter about him. But you! You should have seen what I was doing!”