Fred was beyond so futile an emotion as anger.  Somehow he was not even surprised, but he had energy enough left for sarcasm.  He looked squarely at Watson as he said: 

“Why not tell the truth?  If any judge is willing to convict me on my intentions I’ll go to jail gladly.  It seems to me that it ought to be easy enough to prove that I gave that check to Brauer with every prospect in the world that I could cover it.  He tricked me, really.”

“Yes, but how can you prove it?”

“Why, there’s my wife.  She heard every bit of the—­”

“My dear man, you’re not going to drag her into this mess, I hope.  What we’re trying to do is to hush this thing up, so that in due time you can come back and take your place in society again without scandal.”

“How are you going to stop Brauer’s tongue?”

“Oh, we’ll see that he keeps his counsel...  Hilmer will throw him a sop...  He’s going in with this man Kendrick, you know.”

Fred rose and went over to the washbasin and drew himself a drink.  Finally he spoke.  “It’s a damned lie—­the whole thing.  That is enough to queer it with me.  I’m not a common drunkard, and you know it.”

“You were drunk when they arrested you.”

“Well ... yes.”

“And that’s what gives us such a good chance...  Now look here, Starratt, you can take a tip from me or leave it, just as you see fit.  A trial for a charge such as you’re up against is a damned nasty business.  You get publicity that you never live down.  And just now there’s a big sentiment developing against letting people off easily once the thing is made public.  The judges are soaking people hard...  You might get off, and then again you might not.  Would you like to put your wife in the position of having a convict for a husband? ...  Think it over.”

Fred sat down.  He was not beaten yet.  After all, what did Helen think about this arrangement?  Had they spoken to her?  Some of her methods in the past had not been to his taste, but they were the best means to an end that she knew.  And she always had been loyal.  Ah yes, in a scratch women did rise to the occasion!  For an instant he remembered the parting comment of his cell companion of Saturday night: 

“If you’ve got a dame stuck on you there’s always a chance.”

He turned to Watson with a smile of triumph.

“I’ll leave the thing to Mrs. Starratt,” he said, confidently.  “I think I can depend upon her to stand by me, whatever happens...”

Watson reached into his inner coat pocket.

“I’ve a note from her here,” he said, handing Starratt a square envelope.

Fred broke the seal and unfolded the contents deliberately.  He read very slowly...  When he had finished he read it through again.  He sat for some moments on the edge of the bed, tapping his lips with a tentative finger.  Finally he rose.

“Well, Mr. Watson,” he said, bitterly, “I said I’d stand by Mrs. Starratt’s decision.  And I’m a man of my word.”