'So I believe,' I said.
'I am guilty,' Gibbie said.
'You are,' I was in no mood to alleviate Gibbie's misery. 'Although I do not care about these crimes. I am more upset that you tried to gamble away Marie.'
Gibbie shook his head in instant denial. 'That is not true!'
'It is true, sir,' I said. 'I heard from a very reliable source.'
'I had no choice,' Gibbie said.
I said nothing. To leave Gibbie in durance vile and allow him to face a trial would be to risk his imprisonment, transportation or even the gallows. Worse, it would mean that Marie was alone in the world without even such a weak protector as this man. Once again I wondered if Marie would be better without him, and I decided that I could not make such a decision for her.
'Would Marie have gambled you in similar circumstance
