She clung to him with a frightened tenderness while he told her of the letter from Fenella Stanley asking him to take up the defence on behalf of the Society.
"Of course I should have taken it up in any case, you know. And now you must authorise me to defend you."
She was startled. In the half darkness he saw her pale face (so pale and so thin) raised to his with a frightened look.
"You?"
"Why not, dear? I'm an advocate. You don't suppose I'm going to leave your defence to anybody else, do you?"
"No, no! You must not!"
"But why? Can't you trust me, Bess?"
"It isn't that."
"What then?"
Bessie did not answer him, and he went on talking, though his voice was breaking again. He knew he was not a born lawyer and a great speaker like Stowell, but the facts were so clear that he had only to state them and they would speak for themselves.