“I shall not. Dr. Bilks; you have taken a great deal of pains to make it appear that I am the person who was with Blackstone on the night he was murdered.” “I deny it; I have taken no pains to do so.” “You mentioned my name to Ross.” “I did.” “And to Hubbard.” “I did not. He was sure you were the person.” “Was he sure without any suggestion from you?” “He was; his first remark to me was to the effect that the person with Buckstone looked like Mr. Birch.” “Did you do anything to lead him away from this conclusion?” “I did not. I will be as candid as I wish you to be. I could not do anything to lead him away from such a conclusion, Birch. I believe you were the person.” “You do!” “Just as firmly and conscientiously as I believe that Ross killed Buckstone.” “Do you wish to believe it?” “No; I have tried with all my might to believe you were not the person. The evidence is too strong for my mind. Ross and Hubbard are confident; and your reasons for being there are sufficiently apparent. There was not a man in Poppleton who had any business with Buckstone, except Mr. Hungerford and yourself,” said the doctor, earnestly. “But I have sworn that I was not the person.” “That is where you made the greatest mistake of your life.” “Then you believe me guilty of perjury,” added Dick, calmly. “I have nothing to say about that. My belief is not a matter of choice. I believe that Bell River runs down hill; and I believe it because I can’t help it.” “In your eye I am perjured?” “Don’t worry me with hard names; don’t ask me to condemn you. I will not. I cannot see why you should be so anxious to conceal your interview with Buckstone.” “Do you think I helped murder him?” “God forbid! Of course I do not.” “Can you conceive of any motive I should have for concealing the fact, if it were a fact, that I was with Buckstone?” “I cannot.” “If you believe I was the person now popularly known as the ‘stranger,’ you must think I have some strong motive for denying what you believe.” “There must be some motive: it is not apparent yet. I believe in the truth; and I am confident that the truth will come out. It will be proved that you were with Buckstone, and your motive for denying it will also be proved. I am satisfied on this point. Now, Mr. Birch, I claim to be your friend. You will do me the justice to say that I have not been forward in bringing out anything to your disadvantage.” “Did you suggest to Hungerford that I might be trying to get half a million with Julia by preventing his marriage?” “Such a thought occurred to me; and you virtually owned up on the stand this forenoon.” “I think not,” replied Dick, indignantly. “Be that as it may, you will readily perceive that the thought which came to my mind was a general opinion in the community; otherwise, it would not have occurred to Mr. Lowe.”