“Huh!” grunted Carton.  “So they’ve retained you, have they, Ike?” he mused familiarly, closely regarding the visitor.

Kahn, far from resenting the familiarity, seemed rather to enjoy it and take it as his due measure of fame.

“Yes, Mr. Carton, they have retained me.  I have just had a talk with the prisoner in the Tombs and have gone over his case very carefully, sir.”

Carton nodded, but said nothing, willing to let Kahn do the talking for the present until he exposed his hand.

“He has told me all about his case,” pursued Kahn evenly.  “It is not such a bad case.  I can tell you that, Mr. Carton, because I didn’t have to resort to the ‘friend of the judge’ gag in order to show him that he had a good chance.”

Kahn looked knowingly at Carton.  At least he was frank about his own game before us; in fact, utterly shameless, it seemed to me.  Probably it was because he knew it was no use, that Carton had no illusions about him.  Still, there was an uncanny bravado about it all.  Kahn was indeed very successful in making the worst appear the better reason.  He knew it and knew that Carton knew it.  That was his stock in trade.

He had seated himself in a chair by the District Attorney’s desk and as he talked was hitching it closer and closer, for men of Kahn’s stamp seem unable to talk without getting into almost personal contact with those with whom they are talking.  Carton drew back and folded his hands back of his head as he listened, still silent.

“You know, Mr. Carton,” he insinuated, “it is a very different thing to be sure in your own mind that a man is guilty from being able to prove it in court.  There are all sorts of delays that may be granted, witnesses are hard to hold together, in fact there are many difficulties that arise in the best of cases.”

“You don’t need to tell me that, Kahn,” replied Carton quietly.

“I know it, Mr. Carton,” rejoined the other apologetically.  “I was just using that as a preface to what I have to say.”

He took another hitch of the chair nearer Carton and lowered his voice impressively.  “The point, sir, at which I am driving is simply this.  There must be some way in which we can reach an agreement, compromise this case, satisfactorily to the people with a minimum of time and expense—­some way in which the indictment or the pleadings can be amended so that it can be wound up and—­you understand—­both of us win—­instead of dragging it out and perhaps you losing the case in the end.”

Carton shook his head.  “No, Kahn,” he said in a low tone, but firmly, “no compromise.”

Kahn bent his ferret eyes on Carton’s face as if to bore through into his very mind.

“No,” added the District Attorney, “Murtha was just here, and I may as well repeat what I said to him—­although I might fairly assume that he went from this room directly across the street to your office and that you know it already.  This case has gone too far, it has too many other ramifications for me to consent to relax on it one iota.”