He expected the girl to denounce indignantly such a possibility; he was surprised that she remained silent. Her non-refutation of this deduction told him as conclusively as though she had uttered the accusation that she thought Alan had taken the money and Mortimer was shielding him. It was but a phase of blind love; it was the faith women place in men they love, of which he had read and scoffed at.
Against all evidence she was holding this man honest, believing her brother the thief.
Surely a love like that was worth winning; no price was too great to pay. Her very faith in Mortimer, through which she sought to save him by inspiring Crane, determined the latter to crush utterly the man who stood between him and this great love. Intensity of hate, or love, or cupidity, never drew Crane out of his inherent diplomacy; he took refuge behind the brother of Allis.
“You see,” he said, and his voice was modulated with kindness, “I can't save Mortimer except at the expense of Alan; you would not have me do that. Besides, it is impossible--the evidence shines as clear as noonday.”
“If you bring this home to Mr. Mortimer you will punish him, arrest him?”
She had taken her hand off his arm; now she replaced it, and he could feel the strong fingers press as though she would hold him to her wishes.
“You will not do this,” she said, “for my sake you will not.”
“You ask this of me, and it is for your sake?”
“Yes, if there is no other way; if Mr. Mortimer, innocent, must take upon himself this crime, then for my sake you will not punish him.”
The gray eyes were violet-black in their intensity.
“If I promise--” He had been going to ask for reward, but she broke in, saying: “You will keep your word, and I will bless you.”
The magnetism of the intense eyes broke down his reserve; he slipped back twenty years in a second. Love touched him with a fire-wand, and his soul ignited. Cold, passionless Philip Crane spoke in a tongue, unfamiliar as it was to him, that carried conviction to the girl--just the conviction that he was in earnest, that he was possessed of a humanizing love. She listened patiently while he pleaded his cause with much mastery. It was beyond her understanding, that, though Mortimer through all time had spoken not at all of love to her--at least not in the passionate words that came from this man's lips--yet she now heard as though it were his voice and not Crane's. Love was a glorious thing--with Mortimer.