Part 33 (1/2)

The Secretary asked more questions, but again they were of a general nature and did not come to the point, as he made no mention of Miss Grayson or her cottage.

Wood said nothing, but he was growing more impatient than ever, and the imaginary shavings whittled by his imaginary knife were increasing in length.

”Gentlemen,” he exclaimed, ”it still 'pears to me that we are wastin'

time. I know Prescott an' he's all right. I don't care two cents whether or not he helped a woman to escape. S'pose she was young and pretty.”

All smiled saved Sefton and Prescott.

”General, would you let gallantry override patriotism?” asked the President.

”There ain't no woman in the world that can batter down the Confederacy,” replied the other stoutly. ”If that is ever done, it'll take armies to do it, and I move that we adjourn.”

The President looked at his watch.

”Yes,” he said, ”we must go. Mr. Sefton, you may continue the examination as you will and report to me. Captain Prescott, I bid you good-day, and express my wish that you may come clear from this ordeal.”

Prescott bowed his thanks, but to Wood, whose active intervention in his behalf had carried much weight, he felt deeper grat.i.tude, though he said nothing, and still stood in silence as the others went out, leaving him alone with the Secretary.

Mr. Sefton, too, was silent for a time, still interlacing his fingers thoughtfully and glancing now and then through the window. Then he looked at Prescott and his face changed. The cruelty which had lurked in his eyes disappeared and in its place came a trace of admiration, even liking.

”Captain Prescott,” he said, ”you have borne yourself very well for a man who knew he was wholly in the power of another, made by circ.u.mstances his enemy for the time being.”

”I am not wholly in the power of anybody,” replied Prescott proudly. ”I repeat that I have done nothing at any time of which I am ashamed or for which my conscience reproaches me.”

”That is irrelevant. It is not any question of shame or conscience, which are abstract things. It is merely one of fact--that is, whether you did or did not help Miss Catherwood, the spy, to escape. I am convinced that you helped her--not that I condemn you for it or that I am sorry you did so. Perhaps it is for my interest that you have acted thus. You were absent from your usual haunts yesterday and the night before, and it was within that time that the spy disappeared from Miss Grayson's. I have no doubt that you were with her. You see, I did not press the question when the others were here. I halted at the critical point. I had that much consideration for you.”

He stopped again and the glances of these two strong men met once more; Prescott's open and defiant, Sefton's cunning and indirect.

”I hear that she is young and very beautiful,” said the Secretary thoughtfully.

Prescott flushed.

”Yes, young and very beautiful,” continued the Secretary. ”One might even think that she was more beautiful than Helen Harley.”

Prescott said nothing, but the deep flush remained on his face.

”Therefore,” continued the Secretary, ”I should imagine that your stay with her was not unpleasant.”

”Mr. Sefton,” exclaimed Prescott, taking an angry step forward, ”your intimation is an insult and one that I do not propose to endure.”

”You mistake my meaning,” said the Secretary calmly. ”I intended no such intimation as you thought, but I wonder what Helen Harley would think of the long period that you have spent with one as young and beautiful as herself.”

He smiled a little, showing his white teeth, and Prescott, thrown off his guard, replied:

”She would think it a just deed.”

”Then you admit that it is true?”

”I admit nothing,” replied Prescott firmly. ”I merely stated what I thought would be the opinion of Helen Harley concerning an act of mercy.”

The Secretary smiled.