"Gordon doesn’t believe in capital punishment." "So I understand." "I don’t either." Her tone startled him. He glanced up. She was looking at him steadily. "Did you read of this man’s crime?" he asked. "No, I don’t read about crimes." "Then I’ll spare you. Only, he shot a man down in cold blood; there were eye-witnesses; there is no doubt of his guilt. He made no defense." "Then it couldn’t have been hard to convict him." "No," Eades admitted, though he did not like this detraction from his triumph. "But the responsibility is great." "I should imagine so." He did not know exactly what she meant; he wondered if this were sarcasm. "It is indeed," he insisted. "Yes," she went on, "I know it must be. I couldn’t bear it myself. I’m glad women are not called to such responsibilities. I believe it is said--isn’t it?--that their sentimental natures unfit them." She was smiling. "You’re guying now," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, indeed, no! Of course, I know nothing about such things--save that you men are superior to your emotional natures, and rise above them and control them." "Well, not always. We become emotional, but our emotions are usually excited on the side of justice." "What is that?" "Justice? Why--well--" "You mean ’an eye for an eye,’ I suppose, and ’a life for a life.’" Elizabeth looked at him steadily, and he feared she was making him ridiculous. "I’m not sure that I believe in capital punishment myself," he said, seeing that she would not, after all, sympathize with him, "but luckily I have no choice; I have only my duty to do, and that is to enforce the laws as I find them." He settled back as if he had found a sure foundation and placed his fingers tip to tip, his polished nails gleaming in the firelight as if they were wet. "I can only do my duty; the jury, the judge, the executioner, may do theirs or not. My personal feelings can not enter into the matter in the least. That’s the beauty of our system. Of course, it’s hard and unpleasant, but we can’t allow our sentiments to stand in the way." Plainly he enjoyed the nobility of this attitude. "As a man, I might not believe in capital punishment--but as an official--" "You divide yourself into two personalities?" "Well, in that sense--" "How disagreeable!" Elizabeth gave a little shrug. "It’s a kind of vivisection, isn’t it?" "But something has to be done. What would you have me do?" He sat up and met her, and she shrank from the conflict. "Oh, don’t ask me! I don’t know anything about it, I’m sure! I know but one criminal, and I don’t wish to dream about him to-night." "It is strange to be discussing such topics," said Eades. "You must pardon me for being so disagreeable and depressing." "Oh, I’ll forgive you," she laughed. "I’d really like to know about such things. As I say, I have known but one criminal." "The one you dream of?" "Yes. Do you ever dream of your criminals?"