And Jim must not go to her rescue. He must not protest or lift
a hand in her behalf. He must sit and suffer with her while the
anguish squeezed the big sweat out of his knotted brows.
It had been hard enough to await the appearance of the case on
the docket, to sit through the selection of the jury, and to
study the gradual recruitment of that squad of twelve sphinxes,
all commonplace, yet mysterious, lacking in all divinity of
comprehension and eager to be entertained with an exciting
conflict.
The fact that a woman was the plaintiff was a tremendous handicap
for Jim, even though a woman was allied with him in the defense.
The very name "co-respondent" condemned her in advance in the public
mind. And then she was rich and therefore dissipated in the minds
of those who cannot imagine wealth as providing other fascinating
businesses besides vice. And Jim was wealthy and therefore a proper
object for punishment. If he had earned his millions it must have
been by tyrannous corruption; if he had only inherited them that
was worse yet.
Beattie lost no chance to play on the baser phases of the noble and
essential suspicions of the democratic soul and also on Kedzie's
humble origin, her child-like prettiness proving absolutely a
child-like innocence and trust, and the homely simplicity of her
parents, who, being poor and ignorant, were therefore inevitably
virtuous and sincere.
Jim had realized from the first what a guilty aspect his unfortunate
excursion with Charity must wear in the eyes of any one but her and
him.
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