to call upon my
uncle, bare my heart to him, and then appeal to him on the strength of
our relationship and his loneliness, to aid me. Without presuming that
I entertained any expectations from him, still, if he meant to remember
me at all, I intended to urge my present necessities as out-weighing
every desire and hope of the future.

"Hopeless? Crazy? Of course it was! But I never would have been
satisfied until I made the effort. . . . Belle, I want to smoke."

He paused, and producing a cigarette, lighted it. But as it was plain
that he had not finished, his hearers were far too absorbed in his
surprising recital to break in upon the silence. Miss Fluette had
followed his every word with a light of love and sympathy shining in
her hazel eyes, which was undoubtedly exerting an encouraging influence
over the narrator; but Miss Cooper, I observed--and not without some
inward satisfaction--was covertly watching me, as if she would fathom
my thoughts and read the effect which the story was producing there.

And right here let me say that at the moment I would have been hard put
to it if suddenly called upon to define that effect.

First of all, Maillot had shown that he was keenly sensible of the
seriousness of his position, and in looking forward to the incredible
story he would have to tell, had realized that its entire trend would
mean self-incrimination. As he himself might have phrased it, he was
supplying me not only with a motive for the crime, but, from the time
of his conversation with Mr. Fluette forward, with evidence which
cumulatively inculpated himself.

So far, I had felt like one listening to a confession; as if all that I
had already harkened to was but a preamble to the tragedy which was yet
to follow. I may go still farther: the thought occurred to me that he
might be paving the way for justification for a deed of blood.
Convinced that the responsibility for Page's death lay between himself
and Burke, it would appear that he was adopting the only means of
getting out of a bad hole.

Still I knew in my heart that the denouement of his recital had at best
been only hinted at. Had he been under arrest, it would have been my
duty to warn him that whatever he might say could be used against him
as evidence. Yet I was bound to listen, to encourage him to talk, if
he would; but I could not help considering the effect this story would
produce upon the minds of a jury. I caught a wistful look