If it were not for me, he would be free and
happy to-day.
My conscience cried out that the one thing to do was to go at once to
the Chief of Police and say: "Monsieur, this English gentleman they have
arrested cannot have committed a murder in the Rue de la Fille Sauvage,
between twelve and one last night, for he came to my house, far away in
the Rue d'Hollande, at a quarter past twelve, and didn't leave it till
after one o'clock."
I even sprang up from my chair in the very room where I had hidden Ivor,
to ring for Marianne and tell her to bring me a hat and coat, to bid her
order my electric brougham immediately. But--I sat down again, sick and
despairing, deliberately crushing the generous impulse. I couldn't obey
it. I dared not. By and by, perhaps. If Ivor should be in real pressing
danger, then certainly. But not now.
At four o'clock Raoul came, and was with me for an hour. Each of us
tried to cheer the other. I did all I could to make him hope that even
yet he would have news of the brocade bag and its contents. He, thinking
me ill and tired out, did all he could to persuade me that he was not
miserable with anxiety.
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