FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103  
104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   >>   >|  
en minutes is the time allowed a prisoner, and--and--I'm afeared the young leddy must go. It 'urts me to tell you, sir, but--you'll understand. Dooty is dooty." "Yes, doubtless, Bennett, though some people's idea of it is different from others'," returned Merriton, with a bleak smile. "Have no fear, 'Toinette. There is still plenty of time, and I shall engage the finest counsel in the land to stand for me. This knot shall be broken somehow, this tissue of lies must have a flaw somewhere. And nowadays circumstantial evidence, you know, doesn't hold too much water in a court of law. God bless you, little 'Toinette." She clung to him a moment, her face suddenly lightening at the tenor of his words--so bravely spoken, with so little conviction behind them. But they had helped her, and for that he was glad. When she had gone, he sat down on the edge of his narrow bed and dropped his face in the cup of his hands. How hopeless it seemed. What chance had he of a future now--with Cleek against him? Cleek the unraveller of a thousand riddles that had puzzled the cleverest brains in the universe! Cleek would never admit to having made a blunder this time--though there was a sort of grim satisfaction in the knowledge that he _had_ blundered, though he himself was the victim. ... He sat there for a long time, thinking, his brain wearied, his heart like lead. Bennett's heavily-booted feet upon the stone floor brought him back again to realities. "There's another visitor, sir," said he. "A gentleman. Seen 'im up at the Towers, I 'ave. Name of West, sir. Constable Roberts says as 'ow you may see him." How kind of the constable, thought Nigel bitterly. His mouth twisted into a wry smile. Then his eyes lightened suddenly. Tony West, eh? So all the rats hadn't deserted the sinking ship, after all. There were still the old doctor, who came, cheering him up with kind words, bringing him books that he thought he could read--as though a man _could_ read books, under such circumstances--and now Tony West--good old West! West strode in, his five-feet-three of manhood looking as though it were ready to throw the jailer's six-feet-one out of the window upon request, and seized Nigel's hand, wringing it furiously. "Good old Nigel! Gad! but it's fine to see you. And what fool put you in this idiotic predicament? Wring his damned neck, I would. How are you, old sport?" Under such light badinage did West try to conceal his real fee
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103  
104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

suddenly

 

thought

 

Toinette

 

Bennett

 

twisted

 
bitterly
 

constable

 

understand

 

minutes

 
lightened

sinking

 
deserted
 

realities

 

visitor

 

returned

 

brought

 

gentleman

 

Roberts

 

Constable

 

allowed


prisoner

 

Towers

 

doctor

 

furiously

 

wringing

 

seized

 

window

 

request

 

damned

 

idiotic


predicament

 
jailer
 

people

 

bringing

 

cheering

 
circumstances
 

conceal

 

strode

 

manhood

 

badinage


lightening

 

moment

 

plenty

 

helped

 

bravely

 

spoken

 
conviction
 

broken

 

finest

 

tissue