"Mr. Huber," he said, "a great many things have happened since we met."
"I’ll admit you’ve kept me pretty busy, Judge."
"I was not referring to the unnecessary trouble in which you involved yourself. I was referring to the fact that your month has elapsed and that the man you threatened is dead."
The news of the morning had temporarily annulled Luke’s sense of time. Only yesterday he had wondered what use he should make of the Rollins letters, now carried in a safer place than his coat-pocket; to-day he had forgotten them.
"Yes," he said, gathering his thoughts behind his impassive face: "the month’s over and the man’s dead."
The Judge leaned impressively forward. He shook his white head gravely.
"Death," said the Judge, "wipes out all animosities. I know you would not use those letters now, Mr. Huber, because I know you would not strike a dead man. So I have come to ask you to deliver them to me." He held out his opened hand.
"I don’t understand," said he. "I thought you always represented yourself as—well, as not professionally retained in this matter?"
"Not directly and not altogether." Stein chose his words. "I am retained by the company whose property those letters are."
"I thought you had left the railroad-claim business long ago. Perhaps you are specially retained for this one job?"
The Judge looked hurt. His firm mouth quivered.
"Mr. Huber," he said, "I am in no frame of mind for joking to-day. This man is dead, and he was my friend——"
"I’m sorry to have seemed to joke," Luke interrupted.
"He is dead, and whatever his faults—we all have our faults, Mr. Huber—they died with him. I am here only to ask you to show a decent respect for the memory of a dead enemy. I am here to ask you to be magnanimous, Mr. Huber."
"The living are always the winners," said the Judge.
"And so you want me to surrender these letters?"
"Exactly. What use can they be to you now?"
"There were other people involved. Are they willing to accept my terms? I know they can’t hurt me, because I know they haven’t the courage or the power of the man you’ve been talking about. But that’s neither here nor there: will they accept my terms?"
"They did not write either of the letters, Mr. Huber."
"If you think that," said the Judge, "I can only repeat the offer I made you when I called here before."