And then, simultaneously with her conviction that he was a criminal, came the certainty that he was the man she loved.  It had only needed the spectacle of him in trouble to make her sure.  She came to his side with the vague idea of doing something to help him, of giving him her support.  Once there, she found that there was nothing to do and nothing to say.  She put her hand on his, and stood waiting helplessly for she knew not what.

It was the touch of her fingers which woke Jimmy from his stupor.  He came to himself almost with a jerk.  He had been mistily aware of what had been said, but speech had been beyond him.  Now, quite suddenly, he was a whole man once more.  He threw himself into the debate with energy.

“Good Heavens!” he cried.  “You’re all wrong.  I found him blowing open the safe!”

Gentleman Jack smiled superciliously.

“A likely story, what!  I mean to say, it’s a bit thin!”

“Ridiculous!” said Mrs. Pett.  She turned to Miss Trimble with a gesture.  “Arrest that man!”

“Wait a mom’nt,” replied that clear-headed maiden, picking her teeth thoughtfully with the muzzle of her revolver.  “Wait mom’nt.  Gotta look ‘nto this.  Hear both these guys’ st’ries.”

“Really,” said Gentleman Jack suavely, “it seems somewhat absurd—­”

“Ney’ mind how ’bsurd ’t sounds,” returned the fair Trimble rebukingly.  “You close y’r face ‘n lissen t’ me.  Thass all you’ve gotta do.”

“I know you didn’t do it!” cried Ann, tightening her hold on Jimmy’s arm.

“Less ’f it, please.  Less ’f it!” Miss Trimble removed the pistol from her mouth and pointed it at Jimmy.  “What’ve you to say?  Talk quick!”

“I happened to be down there—­”

“Why?” asked Miss Trimble, as if she had touched off a bomb.

Jimmy stopped short.  He perceived difficulties in the way of explanation.

“I happened to be down there,” he resumed stoutly, “and that man came into the room with an electric torch and a blowpipe and began working on the safe—­”

The polished tones of Gentleman Jack cut in on his story.

“Really now, is it worth while?” He turned to Miss Trimble.  “I came down here, having heard a noise.  I did not happen to be here for some unexplained purpose.  I was lying awake and something attracted my attention.  As Mrs. Pett knows, I was suspicious of this worthy and expected him to make an attempt on the explosive at any moment:  so I took my pistol and crept downstairs.  When I got here, the safe was open and this man making for the window.”

Miss Trimble scratched her chin caressingly with the revolver, and remained for a moment in thought.  Then she turned to Jimmy like a striking rattlesnake.

“Y’ gotta pull someth’g better th’n that,” she said.  “I got y’r number.  Y’re caught with th’ goods.”

“No!” cried Ann.

“Yes!” said Mrs. Pett.  “The thing is obvious.”