That was all. The governor began after that to speak of his coming
campaign for the Senate, but O'Bannon knew now exactly why he had come.
He had come to offer him a bribe. It was not the first time he had been
offered a bribe. He remembered a family of Italians who had come to him
frankly with all their savings in a sincere belief that that was the
only way to save a son and brother. They had gone away utterly unable to
understand why their offering had been rejected, but with a confused
impression that district attorneys in America came too high for them. He
had not felt any anger against their simple effort at corruption--only
pity; but a sudden furious anger swept him against Albee, so smooth, so
self-satisfied. Unanalytic, like most hot-blooded people--who in the
tumult of their emotions are too much occupied to analyze and when the
tumult ceases are unable to believe it ever existed--O'Bannon did not
understand the sequence of his emotions. For an instant he was angry,
and then he felt a sort of desperate relief. At least the question of
his attitude in the case was settled. Now he must prosecute to the
utmost of his ability. One couldn't let a sleek, crooked old politician
go through the world thinking that he had bribed you--one couldn't be
bribed.

He leaned his brow on his hand, shielding his whole face from the light,
while he drew patterns on the blotting paper with a dry pen. The
governor broke off with an appearance of spontaneity.

"But I mustn't run on like this about my own affairs," he said. "I came,
as perhaps you guessed, about this unfortunate affair of poor Miss
Thorne. I don't know if you know her personally----"

He paused. He really could not remember. He believed Lydia had mentioned
having seen the man somewhere.

"I've met her once or twice," said O'Bannon.

"Well, if you've seen her you know that she's a rare and beautiful
creature; but if you don't know her you don't know how sensitive she
is; sheltered and proud; doesn't show her deep, human feelings."

A slight movement of the district attorney's hand brought his mouth and
chin into the area of illumination. Their expression was not agreeable.

"No," he said, "I must own I did not get all that."

"This whole thing is almost killing her," Albee went on. "Really I
believe that if she has to go into court--well, of course she must go
into court, poor child, and hear it all gone over and over before a
jury. Imagine how anyone--you or I