"Who"s that? Judge Stott? Tell him I"m too busy to see anyone.
What"s that? A man"s life at stake? What"s that to do with me?
Tell him--"
On hearing Stott"s name, Shirley nearly betrayed herself. She turned pale and half-started up from her chair. Something serious must have happened to bring her father"s legal adviser to the Ryder residence at such an hour! She thought he was in Washington.
Could it be that the proceedings in the Senate were ended and the result known? She could hardly conceal her anxiety, and instinctively she placed her hand on Ryder"s arm.
"No, Mr. Ryder, do see Judge Stott! You must see him. I know who he is. Your son has told me. Judge Stott is one of Judge Rossmore"s advisers. See him. You may find out something about the girl. You may find out where she is. If Jefferson finds out you have refused to see her father"s friend at such a critical time it will only make him sympathize more deeply with the Rossmores, and you know sympathy is akin to love. That"s what you want to avoid, isn"t it?"
Ryder still held the telephone, hesitating what to do. What she said sounded like good sense.
"Upon my word--" he said. "You may be right and yet--"
"Am I to help you or not?" demanded Shirley. "You said you wanted a woman"s wit."
"Yes," said Ryder, "but still--"
"Then you had better see him," she said emphatically.
Ryder turned to the telephone.
"h.e.l.lo, Jorkins, are you there? Show Judge Stott up here." He laid the receiver down and turned again to Shirley. "That"s one thing I don"t like about you," he said. "I allow you to decide against me and then I agree with you." She said nothing and he went on looking at her admiringly. "I predict that you"ll bring that boy to your feet within a month. I don"t know why, but I seem to feel that he is attracted to you already. Thank Heaven! you haven"t a lot of troublesome relations. I think you said you were almost alone in the world. Don"t look so serious," he added laughing.
"Jeff is a fine fellow, and believe me an excellent catch as the world goes."
Shirley raised her hand as if entreating him to desist.
"Oh, don"t--don"t--please! My position is so false! You don"t know how false it is!" she cried.
At that instant the library door was thrown open and the butler appeared, ushering in Stott. The lawyer looked anxious, and his dishevelled appearance indicated that he had come direct from the train. Shirley scanned his face narrowly in the hope that she might read there what had happened. He walked right past her, giving no sign of recognition, and advanced direct towards Ryder, who had risen and remained standing at his desk.
"Perhaps I had better go?" ventured Shirley, although tortured by anxiety to hear the news from Washington.
"No," said Ryder quickly, "Judge Stott will detain me but a very few moments."
Having delivered himself of this delicate hint, he looked towards his visitor as if inviting him to come to the point as rapidly as possible.
"I must apologize for intruding at this unseemly hour, sir," said Stott, "but time is precious. The Senate meets to-morrow to vote.
If anything is to be done for Judge Rossmore it must be done to-night."
"I fail to see why you address yourself to me in this matter, sir," replied Ryder with asperity.
"As Judge Rossmore"s friend and counsel," answered Stott, "I am impelled to ask your help at this critical moment."
"The matter is in the hands of the United States Senate, sir,"
replied Ryder coldly.
"They are against him!" cried Stott; "not one senator I"ve spoken to holds out any hope for him. If he is convicted it will mean his death. Inch by inch his life is leaving him. The only thing that can save him is the good news of the Senate"s refusal to find him guilty."
Stott was talking so excitedly and loudly that neither he nor Ryder heard the low moan that came from the corner of the room where Shirley was standing listening.
"I can do nothing," repeated Ryder coldly, and he turned his back and began to examine some papers lying on his desk as if to notify the caller that the interview was ended. But Stott was not so easily discouraged. He went on:
"As I understand it, they will vote on strictly party lines, and the party in power is against him. He"s a marked man. You have the power to help him." Heedless of Ryder"s gesture of impatience he continued: "When I left his bedside to-night, sir, I promised to return to him with good news; I have told him that the Senate ridicules the charges against him. I must return to him with good news. He is very ill to-night, sir." He halted for a moment and glanced in Shirley"s direction, and slightly raising his voice so she might hear, he added: "If he gets worse we shall send for his daughter."
"Where is his daughter?" demanded Ryder, suddenly interested.
"She is working in her father"s interests," replied Stott, and, he added significantly, "I believe with some hope of success."
He gave Shirley a quick, questioning look. She nodded affirmatively. Ryder, who had seen nothing of this by-play, said with a sneer:
"Surely you didn"t come here to-night to tell me this?"
"No, sir, I did not." He took from his pocket two letters--the two which Shirley had sent him--and held them out for Ryder"s inspection. "These letters from Judge Rossmore to you," he said, "show you to be acquainted with the fact that he bought those shares as an investment--and did not receive them as a bribe."
When he caught sight of the letters and he realized what they were, Ryder changed colour. Instinctively his eyes sought the drawer on the left-hand side of his desk. In a voice that was unnaturally calm, he asked:
"Why don"t you produce them before the Senate?"
"It was too late," explained Stott, handing them to the financier.
"I received them only two days ago. But if you come forward and declare--"
Ryder made an effort to control himself.
"I"ll do nothing of the kind. I refuse to move in the matter. That is final. And now, sir," he added, raising his voice and pointing to the letters, "I wish to know how comes it that you had in your possession private correspondence addressed to me?"
"That I cannot answer," replied Stott promptly.
"From whom did you receive these letters?" demanded Ryder.
Stott was dumb, while Shirley clutched at her chair as if she would fall. The financier repeated the question.
"I must decline to answer," replied Stott finally.
Shirley left her place and came slowly forward. Addressing Ryder, she said:
"I wish to make a statement."
The financier gazed at her in astonishment. What could she know about it, he wondered, and he waited with curiosity to hear what she was going to say. But Stott instantly realized that she was about to take the blame upon herself, regardless of the consequences to the success of their cause. This must be prevented at all hazards, even if another must be sacrificed, so interrupting her he said hastily to Ryder:
"Judge Rossmore"s life and honour are at stake and no false sense of delicacy must cause the failure of my object to save him. These letters were sent to me by--your son."
"From my son!" exclaimed Ryder, starting. For a moment he staggered as if he had received a blow; he was too much overcome to speak or act. Then recovering himself, he rang a bell, and turned to Stott with renewed fury:
"So," he cried, "this man, this judge whose honour is at stake and his daughter, who most likely has no honour at stake, between them have made a thief and a liar of my son! false to his father, false to his party; and you, sir, have the presumption to come here and ask me to intercede for him!" To the butler, who entered, he said: "See if Mr. Jefferson is still in the house. If he is, tell him I would like to see him here at once."
The man disappeared, and Ryder strode angrily up and down the room with the letters in his hand. Then, turning abruptly on Stott, he said:
"And now, sir, I think nothing more remains to be said. I shall keep these letters, as they are my property."