human
I beg your pardon for expressing such a thought, he said simply.
gpt
It's a matter that concerns the judge, only ladies dislike going to the Palais de Justice.
human
You mean that I might have to go there?
gpt
Your testimony is important, and the judge cannot very well come here.
human
But, I'd rather talk to you; really, I would. You can ask me questions and--and then tell him. Go on, I don't mind. M. Kittredge was _not_ my lover--there! Please make that perfectly clear. He was a dear, loyal friend, but nothing more.
gpt
Was he enough of a friend to be jealous of Martinez?
human
What was there to make him jealous?
gpt
Well, smiled Coquenil,
human
I can imagine that if a dear, loyal friend found the lady he was dear and loyal to having supper with another man in a private room, he _might_ be jealous.
gpt
The best proof that M. Kittredge would not be jealous of me is that he loves another woman.
human
The girl at Notre-Dame?
gpt
Yes.
human
But Martinez knew her, too. There might have been trouble over her,
gpt
There was no trouble.
human
You never knew of any quarrel between Kittredge and Martinez? No words?
gpt
Never.
human
Madam, continued Coquenil,
gpt
Of course I do.
human
Even at the sacrifice of your own feelings?
gpt
What do you mean?
human
Let me go back a minute. Yesterday you made a plucky effort to serve your friend, you gave money for a lawyer to defend him, you even said you would come forward and testify in his favor if it became necessary.
gpt
Ah, the girl has seen you?
human
More than that, she has seen M. Kittredge at the prison. And I am sorry to tell you that your generous purposes have accomplished nothing. He refuses to accept your money and----
gpt
I told you he didn't love me,
human
We must have better evidence than that, just as we must have better evidence of his innocence than your testimony. After all, you don't _know_ that he did not fire this shot, you could not _see_ through the wall, and for all you can say, M. Kittredge _may_ have been in Number Seven.
gpt
I suppose that's true,
human
So we come back to the question of motive; his love for you or his hatred of the Spaniard might be a motive, but if we can prove that there was no such love and no such hatred, then we shall have rendered him a great service and enormously improved his chances of getting out of prison. Do you follow me?
gpt
Perfectly. But how can we prove it?
human
If these things are true, it ought to be set forth in Kittredge's letters to you.
gpt
His letters to me! she cried with a start of dismay, while M. Paul nodded complacently.
human
He never wrote me letters--that is, not many, and--whatever there were, I--I destroyed.
gpt
A woman like you would never write to a man oftener than he wrote to her, and Kittredge had a thick bundle of your letters. It was only Saturday night that he burned them, along with that photograph of you in the lace dress.
human
For Heaven's sake, how much more do you know about me?
gpt
I know that you have a bundle of Kittredge's letters here, possibly in that desk.