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Page 69
CHAPTER II
Belief, though it be as ample as the ocean, does not always
similarly swell in crystallising. It has, however, its point of
maximum density, but this, not infrequently, is also ifs point
of minimum knowledge.
During all these days Gwen was gaining rapidly. Maitland came to
visit us almost every night, and he told Gwen that he did not feel
altogether certain that, in arresting M. Latour, the law had secured
her father's real assassin. It would be necessary to account for,
he told her, some very singular errors in his early calculations if
M. Latour was the man.
"When first I took up my abode under the same roof with him," he
said, "I had no doubt that we had at last run down our man. Now,
although another detective has come to the same conclusion, I myself
have many misgivings, and you may be assured, Miss Darrow, that I
shall lose no time in getting these doubts answered one way or the
other. At present you may say to your friend Jeannette that I am
straining every nerve in her father's behalf."
Why all this should so please Gwen I was at a loss to comprehend,
but I could not fail to see that it did please her greatly. She
had been the most anxious of us all to see her father's murderer
brought to justice, and now, when through the efforts of M. Godin,
a man stood all but convicted of the crime, she was pleased to hear
Maitland, whose efforts to track Latour she had applauded in no
equivocal way, say that he should spare no pains to give the suspect
every possible chance to prove his innocence. There was certainly
a reason, whatever it might have been, for Gwen's attitude in this
matter, for that young woman was exceptionally rational in all
things. Nothing of especial moment occurred between this time and
the beginning of the trial. Maitland, for the most part, kept his
own counsel and gave us little information other than a hint that
he still thought there was a chance of clearing M. Latour.
With this end in view he had become an associate attorney with
Jenkins in order the better to conduct M. Latour's case along the
lines which seemed to him the most promising. I asked him on one
occasion what led him to entertain a hope that Latour could be
cleared and he replied: "A good many things." "Well, then," I
rejoined, "what are some of them?" He hesitated a moment and then
replied laughingly: "You see I hate to acknowledge the falsity of
my theories. I said shortly after the murder was committed that I
thought the assassin was short and probably did not weigh over one
hundred and thirty-five pounds; that he most likely had some especial
reason for concealing his footprints, and that he had a peculiarity
in his gait. I felt tolerably sure then of all this, but now it
turns out that M. Latour is six feet tall in his stockings, and thin;
and that, emaciated as he is, he tips the scales at one hundred and
fifty pounds by reason of his large frame. His feet are as
commonplace as--as yours, Doc, and his gait as regular as--mine.
Is it to be expected that I am going to give up all my pet illusions
without a struggle?"
When the hour for the trial arrived Gwen insisted on accompanying us
to the court-room. She had a great deal of confidence in George and
felt sure that, as he expressed a strong doubt of the prisoner's
guilt, he would triumph in proving him innocent. She determined,
therefore, to be present at the trial, even before her attendance
should be required as a witness.
M. Latour, when he was led into the prisoner's box, seemed to have
aged greatly during his incarceration. It was with a marked effort
that he arose and straightened himself up as the indictment was read
to him. When the words: "Are you guilty or not guilty?" were
addressed to him every eye was turned upon him and every ear listened
to catch the first sound of his voice, but no sound came. The
question was repeated more loudly, "Are you guilty or not guilty?"
Like one suddenly awakened from a reverie M. Latour started, turned
toward his questioner, and in a full, firm voice replied: "Guilty!"
I was so dumfounded that I could offer Gwen no word of comfort to
alleviate this sudden shock. Maitland and Godin seemed about the
only ones in the court-room who were not taken off their feet, so to
speak, by this unexpected plea, and George was at Gwen's side in a
moment and whispered something to her which I could not hear, but
which I could see had a very beneficial effect upon her. We had all
expected a long, complicated trial, and here the whole matter was
reduced to a mere formality by M. Latour's simple confession,
"Guilty!" Is it any wonder, therefore, that we were taken aback?
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