"If such a thing were possible, Shirley, you're the one person to make
me do it."
His compliment found her unresponsive; she was too preoccupied with her
own thoughts.
"You must do it," she persisted, and looked at him appealingly. "Of
course the man could not have been himself."
"Probably not," he said coldly. "But of one thing you may be sure,
Challoner had a purpose in all this."
Shirley frowned; the man changed the tone of his voice with a
versatility that she declared to herself was little short of scandalous;
he went on:--
"That purpose was to kill Hargraves. Last night you heard his confession
to that effect; this morning he substantiated it in detail."
Shirley wrapped one hand over the other and sat looking at Murgatroyd
with white drawn face.
"I suppose you realise that this thing is going to kill Miriam
Challoner?"
The man shook his head vigorously.
"Bosh! If grief could kill the woman, living with Challoner would have
accomplished that long ago."
"How unfeeling! How like a man! You understand women so well!" she
declared, looking up at him with a mocking smile; and then went on to
plead: "You must do something--you must get him free! Surely it remains
for his friend to do this much for him! You will--won't you?" There was
a suspicion of moisture in the girl's eyes.
Shaking his head, Murgatroyd rose and began to pace the floor, not
because he wanted to think, but merely to give the girl time to regain
her composure. At last he stopped directly in front of her.
"Shirley"--it was surprising how gentle his voice could be at times--"I
want you to realise the circumstances of this case, which you seem to
have forgotten. In the presence of several people, including yourself,
this man has deliberately confessed to a premeditated murder; a man in
my custody is a witness to the facts; at least five men know of the
motive--his quarrel with Colonel Hargraves. No," he concluded severely,
"if Challoner were my brother or my father, more than that, if you were
in Challoner's place to-day, I should have to try you--convict you.
There would be no escape."
"But the condition that made him do this thing was abnormal," she
persisted; "bad companions and bad habits had warped his mind."
"Like other men of his kind," returned Murgatroyd, "Challoner's decent
at times--conducts himself like a man; but generally speaking, he's
irretrievably bad."
"But can't you delay the trial--get him off in some way--some time?
There are ways--the thing is done every day, and you know it."
Murgatroyd smiled grimly.
"My dear girl, if I would do this thing, I couldn't. I shall go a step
farther. If I could do it, I wouldn't. I couldn't look you in the face,
guilty as I should be of gross malfeasance in my office." He waved his
hand in finality. "Not another word on the subject, please."
"You're immovable! You're cruel!" she cried, rising to her feet. "I
ought not to have come! However, I have done what I could for a friend,"
she flung back at him, looking him straight in the eye, and started
toward the door.
Murgatroyd blocked her way.
"No," he said good-humouredly, not the least disconcerted by her parting
shot, "it's my turn now. You have attempted to corrupt me, swerve me
from my duty and----"
"And wasted your time, I suppose, as you were good enough to remind me
on a previous occasion," she returned, looking up saucily at him under
her lashes.
Murgatroyd was quick to detect her change of mood and took his courage
in both hands, saying:--
"Won't you for the moment forget the Challoners, Shirley? Be kind--you
give me little opportunity to see you alone these days. Think only of
yourself and me----"
"If you're going to make love to me in that awfully serious way of yours
or, for that matter, in any other way, I'll go."
"Aren't you going to marry me, Shirley?" he demanded with characteristic
directness.
"Same old story," laughed the girl.
"Yes, this is the sixth time now that I've asked you. Again, will you
marry me?"
"Don't be silly! This is hardly the place, Billy...."
"I quite agree with you. But one has to make the most of opportunity. As
I said before, the occasions are all too rare when I find myself alone
with you. And unless you want me to keep asking you, speak the word now,
Shirley--make me happy. You may as well say it first as last, for I'm
determined to win you--I'm going to have you!" he wound up
energetically.
"Sure of that, Billy?" she asked coquettishly.
"Positive." And there was a world of determination in the way he said
it.
"Then why bother about my consent?" A flicker of a smile hovered around
her lips.
"Why do you persist in refusing me?"
Shirley flushed. She seemed amused and serious, in turn. Finally she
looked up at him quizzically for a moment, then asked:--
"Do you really want to know?"