Part 15 (2/2)
”Now, who is this woman?”
No answer.
”Come now, Fitzgerald, I know that young men will be young men, and, of course, you don't like these things talked about; but in this case your character must be sacrificed to save your neck. What is her name?”
”I can't tell you.”
”Oh! you know it, then?”
”Well, yes.”
”And you won't tell me?”
”No!”
Calton, however, had found out two things that pleased him; first, that Fitzgerald had an appointment, and, second that it had been with a woman. He pursued another line.
”When did you last see Whyte!”
Brian answered with great reluctance, ”I saw him drunk by the Scotch Church.”
”What! you were the man who hailed the hansom?”
”Yes,” a.s.sented the other, hesitating slightly, ”I was!”
The thought flashed through Calton's brain as to whether the young man before him was guilty or not, and he was obliged to confess that things looked very black against him.
”Then what the newspapers said was correct?”
”Partly.”
”Ah!” Calton drew a long breath--here was a ray of hope.
”You did not know it was Whyte when you found him lying drunk near the Scotch Church?”
”No, I did not. Had I known it was he I would not have picked him up.”
”Of course, you recognised him afterwards?”
”Yes I did. And, as the paper stated, I dropped him and walked away.”
”Why did you leave him so abruptly?”
Brian looked at his questioner in some surprise.
”Because I detested him,” he said, shortly.
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