Part 61 (1/2)
”Your Honor,” said the examiner, ”we all know that the son of the plaintiff was lame, but this young man is sound on both his feet. You have been told that Richard Kildene was struck on the head and this young man bears the scar above his temple--”
Richard started forward, putting his hand to his head and lifting his hair as he did so. He tried to call out, but in his excitement his voice died in his throat, and Larry seized him and held him back.
”Watch him,--watch your uncle,” he whispered in his ear. ”He thinks he has you there in the box and he wants you to get the worst the law will give you. Watch him! The girl understands him. See her eyes upon him. Stand still, boy; give him a chance to have his will. He'll find it bitter when he learns the truth, and 'twill do him good. Wait, man!
You'll have it all in your hands later, and they'll be none the worse for waiting a bit longer. Hold on for my sake, son. I'll tell you why later, and you'll not be sorry you gave heed to me.”
In these short e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed sentences, with his arm through Richard's, Larry managed to keep him by his side as the examiner talked on.
”Your Honor, this young lady admits that she has visited the prisoner in the jail, and can give adequate reason for her a.s.sertion that he is the man he claims to be. She tells us what occurred in that fight on the bluff--things that she was not there to see, things she could only learn from the prisoner: is there not reason to believe that her evidence has been arranged between them?”
”Yes, he told me,--Peter Junior told me, and he came here to give himself up, but you won't let him give himself up.”
”Miss Ballard,” said the judge again, ”you will remember that you are to speak only in reply to questions put to you. Mr. Hibbard, continue the examination.”
”Miss Ballard, you admit that you saw Richard Kildene after he fought with his cousin?”
”Yes.”
”Was his head wounded?”
”Yes.”
”What did you do?”
”I washed his head and bound it up. It was all bleeding.”
”Very well. Then you can say on your sacred oath that Richard Kildene was living and not murdered?”
”Yes.”
”Did you see Peter Junior after they fought?”
”No. If I had seen him, I could have told everybody they were both alive and there would have been no--”
”Look at the prisoner. Can you tell the jury where the cut on Richard Kildene's head was?”
”Yes, I can. When I stood in front of him to bind it up, it was under my right hand.”
From this point the examiner began to touch upon things Betty would gladly have concealed in her own heart, concerning her engagement to Peter Junior, and her secret understanding with his cousin, and whether she loved the one or the other, and what characteristics in them caused her to prefer the one over the other, and why she had never confided her preferences to any of her relatives or friends.
Still, with head erect, Betty flung back her answers.
Bertrand listened and writhed. The prisoner sat with bowed head. To him she seemed a veritable saint. He knew how she suffered in this public revelation of herself--of her innocent struggle between love and loyalty, and maiden modesty, and that the desire to protect him and help him was giving her strength. He saw how valiantly she has been guarding her terrible secret from all the world while he had been fleeing and hiding. Ah, if he had only been courageous! If he had not fled, nor tried to cover his flight with proofs of his death! If he had but stood to his guns like a soldier! He covered his face in shame.
As for Richard, he gloried in her. He felt his heart swell in triumph as he listened. He heard Amalia Manovska murmur: ”Ah, how she is very beautiful! No wonder it is that they both loved her!”
While he was filled with admiration for her, yet his heart ached for her, and with anger and reproach against himself. He saw no one but her, and he wanted to end it all and carry her away, but still yielded to his father's earnest plea that he should wait. He understood, and would restrain himself until Larry was satisfied, and the trial ended.
Still the examination went on.
”Miss Ballard, you admit that Peter Junior was lame when last you saw him, and you observe that the prisoner has no lameness, and you admit that you bound up a wound which had been inflicted on the head of Richard Kildene, and here you see the scar upon the prisoner; can you still on your sacred oath declare this man to be the son of the plaintiff?”