"Continue, then," Philippa assented.

"You will give me ten minutes in which to state my case," he begged.

"We must!" Helen exclaimed. "We must, Philippa! Please!"

"You shall have your ten minutes," Philippa conceded.

He abandoned his attitude of watchfulness and moved back on to the
hearth-rug, his hands behind him. He addressed himself to Philippa.
It was Philippa who had become his judge.

"I will claim nothing from you," he began, "for the services which
I have rendered to Richard. Our friendship was a real thing, and,
finding him in such straits, I would gladly, under any circumstances,
have done all that I have done. I am well paid for this by the
thanks which you have already proffered me."

"No thanks--nothing that we could do for you would be sufficient
recompense," Helen declared energetically.

"Let me speak for a moment of the future," he continued. "Supposing
you ring that telephone and hand me over to the authorities here?
Well, that will be the end of me, without a doubt. You will have
done what seemed to you to be the right thing, and I hope that that
consciousness will sustain you, for, believe me, though it may not
be at my will, your brother's life will most certainly answer for
mine."

There was a slight pause. A sob broke from Helen's throat. Even