human
You _knew_?
gpt
Yes; I knew. You're Norrie Ford. I ought to say I've only known it latterly--about a fortnight now.
human
How?
gpt
Oh, it just came to me--by degrees, I think.
human
Why didn't you say something about it?
gpt
I thought I wouldn't. It has worried me, but I thought I'd keep still.
human
Do you mean that you were going to let everything--go on?
gpt
I weighed all the considerations. That's the decision I came to. You must understand, he went on to explain, in a voice that was now tremulous as well as thin,
human
I didn't mean them. It was nothing but a boy's rage--
gpt
Yes, but you made them; and when the old man was found--But I'll not go into that now. I only want to say that, while I couldn't acquit you with my intelligence, I felt constrained to do it in my heart, especially when everything was over, and it was too late. The incident has been the one thing in my professional career that I've most regretted. I don't quite blame myself. I had to do my duty. And yet it was a relief to me when you got away. I don't know that I could have acted differently, but--but I liked you. I've gone on liking you. I've often thought about you, and wondered what had become of you. And one day--not long ago--as I was going over the old ground once more, I saw I'd been thinking about--_you_. That's how it came to me.
human
And you were going to remain silent, and let me marry Evie?
gpt
I saw what was to be said against it. But I weighed all the evidence carefully. You were an injured man; you'd made a great fight and you'd won--as far as one man can win against the world. I came to the conclusion that I wasn't called on to strike you down a second time, after you'd scrambled up so pluckily. Evie is very dear to me; I don't say that I should see her married to you without some misgiving; but I decided that you deserved her. It was a great responsibility to take, but I took it and made up my mind to--let her go.
human
Oh, you're a good man! I didn't think there was such mercy in the world.