letter I’ve just given the poor lass. He’s not only offered to release

her from their engagement, but he begs her strongly to allow it to come to an end. Whatever he may have done, there’s something very fine about the chap. Both Toogood and the governor of the prison told me that Jean is never out of his mind—and not selfishly in it, mark you.”

“She’ll never give him up,” said Mrs. Maclean woefully.

“Bide a wee, my dear. I think she’ll do anything he asks her to do; and though I haven’t seen the letter I know that he’s put it very strongly to her. He’s assured her—a splendid lie if ever there was one—that the breaking of their engagement will be to his benefit, I mean during the course of the trial.”

“If he’s said that, perhaps she’ll do it.”

“The governor had a little talk with me before the proceedings began. He’s so much impressed with Garlett’s way of taking the whole thing that he half believes him to be innocent. I wish I could believe it”—unconsciously he was slowing down—“it’s no good my pretending that I don’t feel very wretched, the more so that I know well enough that if he’s hung it will be my testimony that will hang him.”

“Were you asked anything about Jean?” asked his wife in a low voice.

“Of course I was! And of course I had to admit that she’d been at the factory fully five weeks before Emily Garlett’s death. Also that they’d corresponded while he was away.”

“Jock! You never said that? Why, it was only the most formal business correspondence,” exclaimed Mrs. Maclean dismayed.

“They particularly questioned me about it, and though I tried to make the truth as clear as I could, I don’t think they believed me. Then I had to admit that the moment he came back he and she were always together. Garlett’s head foreman was called. I felt sorry for the poor chap—he is obviously attached to Jean, but he had to confess that the factory was humming with talk about them long before they became engaged. That stupid, daft old Sir William Harding asked: ‘You mean before Mrs. Garlett’s death?’ and the foreman was so bewildered that he actually answered: ‘I don’t seem to remember exactly when the talk about them did begin.’”

“And will it all be put in the papers?”

“Of course it will.”