“Yes.”
McNiven remembered Jim Dyckman's ancient squiredom to Charity and his recent telephony and he said to himself, “Aha!” But he said to Charity, “Go on.”
“Sandy, my husband and I have agreed to disagree.”
“Then for Heaven's sake don't tell me about it!”
“But I've got to.”
“But you mustn't! Say, rather, I have decided to divorce my husband.”
“All right. Consider my first break unmade. Peter has asked me—I mean, Peter has said that he will furnish me with the evidence on one condition: that I shall not mention a certain person with whom he has been living. He offers to provide me with any sort of evidence you lawyers care to cook up.”
McNiven stared at her and spoke with startling rigor. “Are you trying to involve me in your own crimes?”
“Don't be silly. Peter says it is done all the time.”
“Not in this office. Do you think I'd risk and deserve disbarment even to oblige a friend?”