“What facts?” he shouted. “What facts? That mediums come here?”
“When?” Gaylor cried. “Tell me that! When?”
“Well, today is Thursday,” he said. “They were here Monday morning, and Tuesday morning--and--the one they call Vera--will be here in half an hour.”
Rainey ran across the room, stretching out eager, detaining hands.
“See here!” he begged. “We can fix this!”
“Fix it?” said the reporter. “Not with me, you can’t.” He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how tall he was.
“Get out of my way,” he said. The butler hesitated and fell back. Lee walked into the hall.
“I’ll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you,” he said. “It’s a better story than I thought.”
As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless. The face of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the front door closed, he turned and searched the countenance of each of his companions. The butler had dropped into a chair muttering and beating his fist into his open palm.
Gaylor’s voice was hardly louder than a whisper. “Is this true?” he asked.
Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey snarled at him evilly. “Of course it’s true,” he said.
“You’ve let these people see him!” cried Gaylor. “After I forbade it? After I told you what would happen?”
“He would see them,” Rainey answered hotly. “Twas better I chose them than--”
Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The Doctor backed hastily against the library table. “Don’t you come near me!” he stammered. “Don’t you touch me.”
“And you’ve lied to me!” cried Gaylor. “You’ve deceived me. You--you jailbirds--you idiots.” His voice rose hysterically. “And do you think,” he demanded fiercely, “I’ll help you now?”
The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He turned stupidly as though he had not heard aright. “What?” he asked. From the easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen, hostile eyes.
“No!” he repeated. “We don’t think you’ll help us. You never meant to help us. You’ve never thought of any one but yourself.”
The face of the older man was filled with reproach.
“Don’t do that!” commanded the butler sharply. “I’ve told you not to do that.”