There are
at times advantages in weakness, as women well know, though Charity
despised them now.
Kedzie's lawyer, however, felt it good tactics to assume now the
pose of benevolent patience with an erring one. Seeing that Charity
was in danger of stirring the hearts of the jurors by her suffering,
he forestalled their sympathy and murmured:
"I will wait till Mrs. Cheever has regained control of herself."
Instantly Charity's pride quickened in her. She wanted none of
that beast's pity. She responded to the strange sense of discipline
before fate that makes a man walk soldierly to the electric chair;
inspires a caught spy to stand placidly before his own coffin and
face the firing-squad; led Joan of Arc after one panic of terror
to wait serene among the crackling fagots.
The lawyer was relieved. He had been afraid that Charity would weep.
He resumed the probe:
"And now, Mrs. Cheever, if you are quite calm I will proceed. I
regret the necessity of asking these questions, but you were not
compelled to come into court. You came of your own volition, did
you not?"
"Yes."
"Witnesses have testified and you have not denied that you arrived
at the Viewcrest Inn late at night; that you saw the defendant
register; that you and he went to the only room left; that the
waiter left you together and found you together the next morning.
You have heard that testimony, have you not?"
"Yes."
"Knowing all this, do you still claim that your conduct was above
reproach?"
"For discretion, no.
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