第65章

Belief, though it be as ample as the ocean, does not always similarly swell in crystallising.It has, however, its point ofmaximumdensity, but this, not infrequently, is also ifs pointof 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 seeI 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?

While we were recovering from our surprise at this sudden turn ofaffairs, Maitland was engaged in private conversation with the Judge, with whom, he afterward told me, he had become well acquainted both in his own cases and in those of other lawyers requiring his services as an=20expert chemist.He never told me what passed between them, nor the substance of any of the brief interviews which followed with the prosecuting attorney, his associate counsel, and other legal functionaries.All I know is that when the case was resumed M.Latour's senior counsel, Jenkins, kept carefully in the background, leaving the practical conduct of the case in Maitland's hands.