within the law-第5部分

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oisseur。　　Finally；　he　spoke　again；　and　now　there　was　an　infinite　contentment　in　the　rich　voice。

〃Three　yearsthree　years！　That　ought　to　be　a　warning　to　the　rest　of　the　girls。〃　　He　looked　toward　Demarest　for　acquiescence。

The　lawyer's　brows　were　knit　as　he　faced　the　proprietor　of　the　store。

〃Funny　thing；　this　case！〃　he　ejaculated。　　〃In　some　features；　one　of　the　most　unusual　I　have　seen　since　I　have　been　practicing　law。〃

The　smug　contentment　abode　still　on　Gilder's　face　as　he　puffed　in　leisurely　ease　on　his　cigar　and　uttered　a　trite　condolence。

〃Very　sad！quite　so！　Very　sad　case；　I　call　it。〃　　Demarest　went　on　speaking；　with　a　show　of　feeling：　〃Most　unusual　case；　in　my　estimation。　　You　see；　the　girl　keeps　on　declaring　her　innocence。　　That；　of　course；　is　common　enough　in　a　way。　　But　here；　it's　different。　The　point　is；　somehow；　she　makes　her　protestations　more　convincing　than　they　usually　do。　　They　ring　true；　as　it　seems　to　me。〃

Gilder　smiled　tolerantly。

〃They　didn't　ring　very　true　to　the　jury；　it　would　seem；〃　he　retorted。　　And　his　voice　was　tart　as　he　added：　〃Nor　to　the　judge；　since　he　deemed　it　his　duty　to　give　her　three　years。〃

〃Some　persons　are　not　very　sensitive　to　impressions　in　such　cases；　I　admit；〃　Demarest　returned；　coolly。　　If　he　meant　any　subtlety　of　allusion　to　his　hearer；　it　failed　wholly　to　pierce　the　armor　of　complacency。

〃The　stolen　goods　were　found　in　her　locker；〃　Gilder　declared　in　a　tone　of　finality。　　〃Some　of　them；　I　have　been　given　to　understand；　were　actually　in　the　pocket　of　her　coat。〃

〃Well；〃　the　attorney　said　with　a　smile；　〃that　sort　of　thing　makes　good…enough　circumstantial　evidence；　and　without　circumstantial　evidence　there　would　be　few　convictions　for　crime。　　Yet；　as　a　lawyer；　I'm　free　to　admit　that　circumstantial　evidence　alone　is　never　quite　safe　as　proof　of　guilt。　　Naturally；　she　says　some　one　else　must　have　put　the　stolen　goods　there。　　As　a　matter　of　exact　reasoning；　that　is　quite　within　the　measure　of　possibility。　That　sort　of　thing　has　been　done　countless　times。〃

Gilder　sniffed　indignantly。

〃And　for　what　reason？〃　　he　demanded。　　〃It's　too　absurd　to　think　about。〃

〃In　similar　cases；〃　the　lawyer　answered；　〃those　actually　guilty　of　the　thefts　have　thus　sought　to　throw　suspicion　on　the　innocent　in　order　to　avoid　it　on　themselves　when　the　pursuit　got　too　hot　on　their　trail。　　Sometimes；　too；　such　evidence　has　been　manufactured　merely　to　satisfy　a　spite　against　the　one　unjustly　accused。〃

〃It's　too　absurd　to　think　about；〃　Gilder　repeated；　impatiently。　　〃The　judge　and　the　jury　found　no　fault　with　the　evidence。〃

Demarest　realized　that　this　advocacy　in　behalf　of　the　girl　was　hardly　fitting　on　the　part　of　the　legal　representative　of　the　store　she　was　supposed　to　have　robbed；　so　he　abruptly　changed　his　line　of　argument。

〃She　says　that　her　record　of　five　years　in　your　employ　ought　to　count　something　in　her　favor。〃

Gilder；　however；　was　not　disposed　to　be　sympathetic　as　to　a　matter　so　flagrantly　opposed　to　his　interests。

〃A　court　of　justice　has　decreed　her　guilty；〃　he　asserted　once　again；　in　his　ponderous　manner。　　His　emphasis　indicated　that　there　the　affair　ended。

Demarest　smiled　cynically　as　he　strode　to　and　fro。

〃Nowadays；〃　he　shot　out；　〃we　don't　call　them　courts　of　justice：　we　call　them　courts　of　law。〃

Gilder　yielded　only　a　rather　dubious　smile　over　the　quip。　　This　much　he　felt　that　he　could　afford；　since　those　same　courts　served　his　personal　purposes　well　in　deed。

〃Anyway；〃　he　declared；　becoming　genial　again；　〃it's　out　of　our　hands。　　There's　nothing　we　can　do；　now。〃

〃Why；　as　to　that；〃　the　lawyer　replied；　with　a　hint　of　hesitation；　〃I　am　not　so　sure。　　You　see；　the　fact　of　the　matter　is　that；　though　I　helped　to　prosecute　the　case；　I　am　not　a　little　bit　proud　of　the　verdict。〃

Gilder　raised　his　eyebrows　in　unfeigned　astonishment。　Even　yet；　he　was　quite　without　appreciation　of　the　attorney's　feeling　in　reference　to　the　conduct　of　the　case。

〃Why？〃　　he　questioned；　sharply。

〃Because；〃　the　lawyer　said；　again　halting　directly　before　the　desk；　〃in　spite　of　all　the　evidence　against　her；　I　am　not　sure　that　Mary　Turner　is　guiltyfar　from　it；　in　fact！〃　

Gilder　uttered　an　ejaculation　of　contempt；　but　Demarest　went　on　resolutely。

〃Anyhow；〃　he　explained；　〃the　girl　wants　to　see　you；　and　I　wish　to　urge　you　to　grant　her　an　interview。〃

Gilder　flared　at　this　suggestion；　and　scowled　wrathfully　on　the　lawyer；　who；　perhaps　with　professional　prudence；　had　turned　away　in　his　rapid　pacing　of　the　room。

〃What's　the　use？〃　　Gilder　stormed。　　A　latent　hardness　revealed　itself　at　the　prospect　of　such　a　visitation。　And　along　with　this　hardness　came　another　singular　revelation　of　the　nature　of　the　man。　　For　there　was　consternation　in　his　voice；　as　he　continued　in　vehement　expostulation　against　the　idea。　　If　there　was　harshness　in　his　attitude　there　was；　too；　a　fugitive　suggestion　of　tenderness　alarmed　over　the　prospect　of　undergoing　such　an　interview　with　a　woman。

〃I　can't　have　her　crying　all　over　the　office　and　begging　for　mercy；〃　he　protested；　truculently。　　But　a　note　of　fear　lay　under　the　petulance。

Demarest's　answer　was　given　with　assurance〃

〃You　are　mistaken　about　that。　　The　girl　doesn't　beg　for　mercy。　　In　fact；　that's　the　whole　point　of　the　matter。　She　demands　justicestrange　as　that　may　seem；　in　a　court　of　law！and　nothing　else。　　The　truth　is；　she's　a　very　unusual　girl；　a　long　way　beyond　the　ordinary　sales…girl；　both　in　brains　and　in　education。〃

〃The　less　reason；　then；　for　her　being　a　thief；〃　Gilder　grumbled　in　his　heaviest　voice。

〃And　perhaps　the　less　reason　for　believing　her　to　be　a　thief；〃　the　lawyer　retorted；　suavely。　　He　paused　for　a　moment；　then　went　on。　　There　was　a　tone　of　sincere　determination　in　his　voice。　　〃Just　before　the　judge　imposed　sentence；　he　asked　her　if　she　had　anything　to　say。　You　know；　it's　just　a　usual　forma　thing　that　rarely　means　much　of　anything。　　But　this　case　was　different；　let　me　tell　you。　　She　surprised　us　all　by　answering　at　once　that　she　had。　　It's　really　a　pity；　Gilder；　that　you　didn't　wait。　　Why；　that　poor　girl　made　adamnfine　speech！〃　

The　lawyer's　forensic　aspirations　showed　in　his　honest　appreciation　of　the　effectiveness　of　such　oratory　from　the　heart　as　he　had　heard　in　the　courtroom　that　day。

〃Pooh！　pooh！〃　came　the　querulous　objection。　　〃She　seems　to　have　hypnotized　you。〃　　Then；　as　a　new　thought　came　to　the　magnate；　he　spoke　with　a　trace　of　anxiety。　There　were　always　the　reporters；　looking　for　space　to　fill　with　foolish　vaporings。

〃Did　she　say　anything　against　me；　or　the　store？〃　

〃Not　a　word；〃　the　lawyer　replied；　gravely。　　His　smile　of　appreciation　was　discreetly　secret。　　〃She　merely　told　us　how　her　father　died　when　she　was　sixteen　years　old。　　She　was　compelled　after　that　to　earn　her　own　living。　　Then　she　told　how　she　had　worked　for　you　for　five　years　steadily；　without　there　ever　being　a　single　thing　against　her。　　She　said；　too；　that　she　had　never　seen　the　things　found　in　her　locker。　　And　she　said　more　than　that！　She　asked　the　judge　if　he　himself　understood　what　it　means　for　a　girl　to　be　sentenced　to　prison　for　something　she　hadn't　done。　　Somehow；　Gilder；　the　way　she　talked　had　its　effect　on　everybody　in　the　courtroom。　I　know！　It's　my　business　to　understand　things　like　that。　　And　what　she　said　rang　true。　　What　she　said；　and　the　way　she　said　it；　take　brains　and　courage。　　The　ordinary　crook　has　neither。　　So；　I　had　a　suspicion　that　she　might　be　speaking　the　truth。　　You　see；　Gilder；　it　all　rang　true！　And　it's　my　business　to　know　how　things　ring　in　that　way。〃　　There　was　a　little　pause；　while　the　lawyer　moved　back　and　forth　nervously。　　Then；　he　added：　〃I　believe　Lawlor　would　have　suspended　sentence　if　it　hadn't　been　for　your　talk　with　him。〃

There　were　not　wanting　signs　that　Gilder　was　impressed。　But　the　gentler　fibers　of　the　man　were　atrophied　by　the　habits　of　a　lifetime。　　What　heart　he　had　once　possessed　had　been　buried　in　the　grave　of　his　young　wife；　to　be　resurrected　only　for　his　son。　　In　most　things；　he　was　consistently　a　hard　man。　　Since　he　had　no　imagination；　he　could　have　no　real　sympathy。

He　whirled　about　in　his　swivel　chair；　and　blew　a　cloud　of　smoke　from　his　mouth。　　When　he　spoke；　his　voice　was　deeply　resonant。

〃I　simply　did　my　duty；〃　he　said。　　〃You　are　aware　that　I　did　not　seek　any　consultation　with　Judge　Lawlor。　He　sent　for　me；　and　asked　me　what　I　thought　about　the　casewhether　I　thought　it　would　be　right　to　let　the　girl　go　on　a　suspended　sentence。　　I　told　him　frankly　that　I　believed　that　an　example　should　be　made　of　her；　for　the　sake　of　others　who　might　be　tempted　to　steal。　　Property　has　some　rights；　Demarest；　although　it　seems　to　be　getting　nowadays　so　that　anybody　is　likely　to　deny　it。〃　　Then　the　fretful；　half…alarmed　note　sounded　in　his　voice　again；　as　he　continued：　〃I　can't　understand　why　the　girl　wants　to　see　me。〃

The　lawyer　smiled　dryly；　since　he　had　his　back　turned　at　the　moment。

〃Why；〃　he　vouchsafed；　〃she　just　said　that；　if　you　would　see　her　for　ten　minutes；　she　would　tell　you　how　to　stop　the　thefts　in　this　store。〃

Gilder　displayed　signs　of　triumph。　　He　brought　his　chair　to　a　level　and　pounded　the　desk　with　a　weighty　fist。

〃There！〃　he　cried。　　〃I　knew　it。　　The　girl　wants　to