Persons Unknown Part 36

"You seem very sure of yourself!" Ten Euyck exploded.

Denny appeared to become slowly conscious of him. "Even the persuasive manners of your department," he said, "couldn't make me tell what I didn't know!"

Ten Euyck said quickly, "You don't know who killed Ingham?"

"If I said anything more incriminating, it's possible it might be used against me."

"We're not here," Kane interposed, "to discuss Ingham's death. Mr.

Denny, within the last few days there have been some very grave occurrences, about which it's possible you can enlighten us. If you can, we shan't be ungrateful. Did you ever hear of an organization called the Arm of Justice?"

"Is this a joke?"

"You never heard of it?"

"No."

"Well, then, you can have no objection to repeating the name and address of Miss Hope's Italian friends?"

"Not the least in the world. Has she any?"

"You mean to tell me you don't know she has?"

"Not if it annoys you. I thought you asked."

Ten Euyck, with a gesture as of uncontrollable impatience, rose and went to the window.

"Since you're in a jocular mood, I will ask you something you may think extremely amusing. Do you know if Miss Christina Hope owns a red wig?"

He didn't think it amusing. He seemed to think little enough about it.

"I suppose so."

"But you never saw one about her house?"

"She wouldn't keep it about her house, like a pet. She'd keep it in a trunk. She's not an amateur."

"You never saw her wear one in private life?"

"Not even on the first of April."

"You couldn't even swear she had one, perhaps."

"I certainly could not."

"Nor that she had not?"

"No."

"So that you wouldn't recognize hers if you saw it?"

"No."

The light was very strong upon his face, which remained relaxed and tranquil. But he was very weak and a faint moisture broke out upon it.

"Was there any love affair between you and Miss Hope which angered Nancy Cornish?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me!"

Denny drew in his breath a little. But he did not speak.

"What was your trouble with Nancy Cornish?"

Silence.

"Didn't she quarrel with you because of some woman?"

Silence.

"You know she did. You can't deny it. Do you know what many of your friends are saying? That you kept that appointment with her and got rid of her. They think you were tired of her and preferred Christina Hope!"

"Do they?"

It had missed fire utterly. Yet, since the mention of that other girl, a kind of hunger had been growing in his face, and suddenly Kane wholly veered on that new track.

"But I don't!" said Kane, leaning toward him, and trying to catch and hold his eye. "I think you really care for Nancy Cornish, whether she's alive or dead!" He paused. "I think you'll end by telling me what you know of the woman whom you'll find parted you."

The same dead silence; only Denny had closed his eyes.

"Come, give me your attention. Look at me, please. Look at me, and you'll see that I'm sincere. Did you hear me say if you can help me I shan't be ungrateful? But you can do better for yourself than that. You can simply tell the truth! Tell the truth and you won't need my favor.

You'll be free. And you'll have set me in the way to find Nancy Cornish!

It isn't possible you prefer to keep this ridiculous silence, to die like a criminal for nothing; or spend fifteen to twenty years in the penitentiary--spend life there,--ah, I thought so!" The District-Attorney laughed with triumph at the little straightening of Denny's nostrils. "There's your weak point, my friend! I have never seen a man to whom the idea of jail was so entirely uncongenial! Get rid of it, then! Admit the truth about Christina Hope! What do you owe her? She never even came to me with the witness that she promised."

"I rather thought she'd have trouble doing that!"

"Because you knew there was no such woman. Or rather that that woman was Christina Hope; that she tried to get up courage to incriminate herself in your place and failed!"

"You're a bad guesser, Kane!" Denny said. He had sunk a little forward with his arms upon his knees, and Kane rose and stood over him.

"Admit that your whole att.i.tude is dictated simply by loyalty to her.

You need be loyal no longer. Has she been near you since you've been in the Tombs?"

"No, you've kept her out. And a fine time you must have had doing it!"

Ten Euyck turned round and said, "She's so _fond_ of you, I suppose!"

Denny flushed. "Yes," he said, "she's fond of me. She was born to be a good comrade-in-arms, to carry the flag of a forlorn hope and stand by you in the last ditch. If you gentlemen can't understand that, I'm sorry for you. I can't change her."

"Exactly," Kane said. "I knew that was your ground. Well, this comrade-in-arms has deserted you altogether. The day she should have brought me that witness, she threw down her engagement and left New York!"