Part 32 (2/2)
”No, m'm; I respect a man because he behaves like a man, not because he lives in a marble palace on Riverside Drive.”
Alicia looked pained. This girl was certainly impossible.
”But surely,” she said, ”you realized that when you married Howard you--you made a mistake--to say the least?”
”Yes, that part of it has been made pretty plain. It was a mistake--his mistake--my mistake. But now it's done and it can't be undone. I don't see why you can't take it as it is and--and----”
She stopped short and Alicia completed the sentence for her:
”--and welcome you into our family----”
”Welcome me? No, ma'am. I'm not welcome and nothing you or your set could say would ever make me believe that I was welcome. All I ask is that Howard's father do his duty by his son.”
”I do not think--pardon my saying so,” interrupted Alicia stiffly, ”that you are quite in a position to judge of what const.i.tutes Mr. Jeffries'
duty to his son.”
”Perhaps not. I only know what I would do--what my father would have done--what any one would do if they had a spark of humanity in them. But they do say that after three generations of society life red blood turns into blue.”
Alicia turned to look out of the window. Her face still averted she said:
”What is there to do? Howard has acknowledged his guilt--any sacrifices we may make will be thrown away.”
Annie eyed her companion with contempt. Her voice quivering with indignation, she burst out:
”What is there to do! Try and save him, of course. Must we sit and do nothing because things look black? Ah! I wasn't brought up that way. No, ma'am, I'm going to make a fight!”
”It's useless,” murmured Alicia, shaking her head.
”Judge Brewster doesn't think so,” replied the other calmly.
The banker's wife gave a start of surprise. Quickly she demanded:
”You mean that Judge Brewster has encouraged you to--to----”
”He's done more than encourage me--G.o.d bless him!--he's going to take up the case.”
Alicia was so thunderstruck that for a moment she could find no answer.
”What!” she exclaimed, ”without consulting Mr. Jeffries?”
She put her handkerchief to her face to conceal her agitation. Could it be possible that the judge was going to act, after all, in defiance of her husband's wishes? If that were true, what would become of her?
Concealment would be no longer possible. Discovery of her clandestine visit to Underwood's apartment that fatal night must come. Howard might still be the murderer, Underwood might not have committed suicide, but her visit to his rooms at midnight would become known. Judge Brewster was not the man to be deterred by difficulties once he took up a case.
He would see the importance of finding the mysterious woman who went secretly to Underwood's rooms that night of the tragedy.
”He consulted only his own feelings,” went on Annie. ”He believes in Howard, and he's going to defend him.”
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