"I think," said the Governor, "that the whole thing is unfortunate, damnably unfortunate, but since you are not responsible for the girl's crime, if she committed a crime at all, and knew nothing about it, and have no sympathy with it, you ought to go on doing your duty. Why shouldn't you? .... Interested? Of course you are interested. In a little community like this a Judge is nearly always interested. Isn't that what your Deemster's oath is intended to provide for?" Stowell muttered something about being afraid, and again the Governor caught him up. "Afraid? What are you afraid of? The public? Doesn't it occur to you that the only risk you run in that direction is not the risk of sitting on this case but of not sitting on it? There must be people who have seen you coming here this morning, and if you are not in Court on the appointed day, aren't they likely to ask why?" "There's Gell...." "Certainly there's Gell .... When the marriage was broken off you didn't tell him anything, did you?" Stowell shook his head. "How could I?" "Yes, how could you? And now he wishes you to sit, and, if you don't, isn't he likely to suspect the reason?" "There .... there's Baldromma." "That wind-bag! Likely to make a cry against the administration of justice, is he? Well, the surest way to squelch such people is to walk over them." "There's the girl herself." "Of course, there's the girl herself. But if she is guilty and has held her tongue thus far, she'll probably continue to do so." The Governor made a turn across the room and then drew up sharply. "There's myself, too. I suppose I deserve some consideration?" "Indeed yes." "Then go on with your duty--that's all I ask of you." With a thrill of relief Stowell rose to go. But oh, misery of the heart, he had kept his most searching objection to the last. "There is somebody else, your Excellency." "Who else?" asked the Governor, laying down the pipe he had taken up. "I hate to mention her in this connection--Fenella." "Fenella? Why, what on earth has Fenella...." And then Stowell told him. Having interested herself in this case, Fenella was hunting down the guilty man that he might be exposed and punished--punished by public obloquy if he could not be punished by law. "If she finds him before the trial how can I possibly sit? Whatever happens it will be coloured by her knowledge of the truth. If the girl is acquitted she will think I have helped her to escape punishment in order to salve my conscience or cover my share in her crime. And if she is condemned what happiness can there be for either of us after that?" He had spoken with emotion, but the Governor, who had recovered from his surprise, replied impatiently, "Aren't you crossing the bridge before you come to the river?" Stowell made no answer, and at the next moment there was the sound of carriage wheels coming up the drive.