human
For instance, Martinez, the Spaniard, was widely known as a billiard player. Now, if I should say 'billiard player,' and you had no personal feeling about Martinez, you might easily, by association of ideas, say 'Spaniard'; but, if you had killed Martinez and wished to conceal your crime then, when I said 'billiard player' you would _not_ say 'Spaniard,' but would choose some innocent word like table or chalk. That is a crude illustration, but it may give you the idea.
gpt
And is that all?
human
No, there is also the time taken in choosing a word. If I say 'pen' or 'umbrella' it may take you three quarters of a second to answer 'ink' or 'rain,' while it may take another man whose mind acts slowly a second and a quarter or even more for his reply; each person has his or her average time for the thought process, some longer, some shorter. But that time process is always lengthened after one of the critical or emotional words, I mean if the person is guilty. Thus, if I say, 'Ansonia' to you, and you are the murderer of Martinez, it will take you one or two or three seconds longer to decide upon a safe answering word than it would have taken if you were _not_ the murderer and spoke the first word that came to your tongue. Do you see?
gpt
I see, shrugged the prisoner,
human
Never is a long time, said the judge.
gpt
Wait ten years. We have a wonderful mental microscope here and the world will learn to use it. _I_ use it now, and I happen to be in charge of this investigation.
human
Do you really think, he asked presently, while the old patronizing smile flickered about his mouth,
gpt
I'm sure you could not.
human
Then if I stood the test you would believe me innocent?
gpt
I should be forced to believe one of two things, he said;
human
Let me understand this, laughed the prisoner;
gpt
That's it, only I have a watch that marks the fifths of a second. Are you willing to make the test?
human
Suppose I refuse?
gpt
Why should you refuse if you are innocent?
human
But if I do?
gpt
If you refuse to-day I shall know how to _force_ you to my will another day. Did you ever hear of the third degree, Groener?
human
After all, he said carelessly,