"But how can she know?" argued Alicia. "Howard confessed that he did it himself. If he had not confessed it would be different."
"He did not confess," replied the other calmly. "Mrs. Jeffries--he never confessed. If he did, he didn't know what he was saying."
Alicia was rapidly losing her self-possession.
"Yes. Dr. Bernstein says the police forced it out of his tired brain. I made Howard go over every second of his life that night from the time he left me to the moment he was arrested. There wasn't a harsh word between them." She stopped short and looked with alarm at Alicia, who had turned ashen white. "Why, what's the matter? You're pale as death--you----"
Alicia could contain herself no longer. Her nerves were on the point of giving way. She felt that if she could not confide her secret to some one she must go mad. Pacing the floor, she cried:
"What am I to do? What am I to do? I believed Howard guilty. Why shouldn't I? I had no reason to doubt his own confession! Every one believed it--his own father included. Why should I doubt it. But I see it all now! Underwood must have shot himself as he said he would!"
Annie started. What did Mrs. Jeffries mean? Did she realize the tremendous significance of the words she was uttering?
"As he said he would?" she repeated slowly.
Annie bounded forward and grasped her companion's arm. Her face flushed, almost unable to speak from suppressed emotion, she cried:
"Ah! I begin to understand. You knew Robert Underwood? Howard knows your voice--he heard you--talking to him----Oh, Mrs. Jeffries! Are you the woman who visited his apartment that night?"
The banker's wife bowed her head and collapsed on a chair.
"Why didn't you come forward at once?" she cried. "Think of the pain which you might have spared us!"
Alicia covered her face with her handkerchief. She was crying now.
"The disgrace--the disgrace!" she moaned.
"Disgrace!" echoed Annie, stupefied. Indignantly, she went on: "Disgrace--to you? But what of me and Howard?"
"Can't you realize what it means to be associated with such a crime?" she wailed.
"Disgrace!" cried Annie contemptuously. "What is disgrace when a human life is at stake?"
"It seemed so useless," moaned Alicia--"a useless sacrifice in the face of Howard's confession. Of course--if I'd known--if I'd suspected what you tell me--I'd have come forward and told everything--no matter at what cost." Tearfully she added: "Surely you realize the position it puts me in?"