But on the steps he stopped and looked back affectionately at the library window. "After all, Althea's a good sport!" he remarked to himself. * * * * * At or about the same moment a quite dissimilar conference was being held between Judge Babson and Assistant District Attorney O'Brien in the café of the Passamaquoddy Club. "She'll cave!" declared O'Brien, draining his glass. "Holy Mike! No woman like her is going to stay in jail! Besides, if you don't commit her everybody will say that you were scared to--yielded to influence. You're in the right and it will be a big card for you to show that you aren't afraid of anybody!" Babson pulled nervously on his cigar. "Maybe that's so," he said, "but I don't much fancy an appellate court sustaining me on the law and at the same time roasting hell out of me as a man!" "Oh, they won't do that!" protested O'Brien. "How could they? All they're interested in is the law!" "I've known those fellows to do queer things sometimes," answered the learned judge. "And the Beekmans are pretty powerful people." "Well, so are the McGurks!" warned O'Brien. * * * * * "Now, Miss Beekman," said Judge Babson most genially the next morning, after that lady had taken her seat in the witness chair and the jury had answered to their names, "I hope you feel differently to-day about giving your testimony. Don't you think that after all it would be more fitting if you answered the question?" Miss Althea firmly compressed her lips. "At least let me read you some of the law on the subject," continued His Honor patiently. "Originally many people, like yourself, had the mistaken idea that what they called their honor should be allowed to intervene between them and their duty. And even the courts sometimes so held. But that was long ago--in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. To-day the law wisely recognizes no such thing. Let me read you what Baron Hotham said, in Hill's Trial in 1777, respecting the testimony of a witness who very properly told the court what the accused had said to him. It is very clearly put: "'The defendant certainly thought him his friend, and he'--the defendant--'therefore did disclose all this to him. Gentlemen, one has only to say further that if this point of honor was to be so sacred as that a man who comes by knowledge of this sort from an offender was not to be at liberty to disclose it the most atrocious criminals would every day escape punishment; and therefore it is that the wisdom of the law knows nothing of that point of honor.'" Miss Beekman listened politely. "I am sorry," she replied with dignity. "I shall not change my mind. I refuse to answer the question, and--and you can do whatever you like with me." "Do you understand that you are in contempt of this court? Do you intend to show contempt for this court?" he demanded wrathfully. "I do," answered Miss Althea. "I have contempt for this court."