Those are just words, Judge, and words don’t matter much to me. I might say I wasn’t asking you to compound a felony. I was askin’ you to save a sinner, but those would be just words too. There’s nobody else; you’ve _got_ to help me. JUDGE (_thoughtfully_) I’ve always thought a lot could be done for Ben, by a good lawyer. JANE It doesn’t matter how, so long as it’s done. JUDGE He was drinking, with a crowd of young men; the two Kimbal boys jumped on him and beat him up rather badly. That’s about all we know, aside from the fact that Ben was drunk, and that that night the Kimbals’ barn was set on fire. JANE Just so long as you can get him off, Judge. JUDGE I think a case of assault could be made against the Kimbal boys, and I think it would stand. JANE What of it? JUDGE It is quite possible that the old man, if he knew that action was to be taken against his sons, and if he could be tactfully assured of payment for his barn, say by Ben, in a year’s time, might be persuaded to petition to have the indictment against Ben withdrawn. In that event, I think the chances would be very much in Ben’s favor. JANE I don’t care what names you call it, so long as it’s done. Will you fix it? JUDGE Well, it’s not exactly a proper proceeding for a Judge of the Circuit Court. JANE I knew you’d do it. JUDGE Yes, and I think you knew why, didn’t you? JANE Ever since she’s died, you’ve helped me about everything. Before she died you were just as good to me, and nobody else was. JUDGE I am glad you said that, because it clears me from the charge of being what poor Ben calls “one of the crow buzzards,” and I don’t want you to think me that. JANE No, you’re not that. JUDGE I love you, Jane. JANE No! JUDGE Yes--I’ve done that for a long while. Don’t you think you could get used to the thought of being my wife? JANE (_gently_) No. JUDGE I think I could make you happy. JANE No. JUDGE I am afraid being happy is something you don’t know very much about. JANE No. JUDGE It isn’t a thing that I am going to hurry you over, my dear, but neither is it a thing that I am going to give up hoping for. JANE When you told me, that day, that Mrs. Jordan had left me all her money, I couldn’t understand; then, afterwards, you gave me the letter she left for me. I want you to read it. JUDGE What has her letter to do with us? JANE Maybe, reading it, you’ll get to know something you’ve got a right to know, better than I could tell it to you. JUDGE Very well. JANE It’s here. (_She opens drawer, and selects a letter in a woman’s old-fashioned handwriting, from a large envelope of papers_) She was a cold woman, Judge. She never let me get close to her, although I tried. She didn’t love me. I was as sure of it then as I am now. (_She holds out the letter_) Read it. JUDGE