CHAPTER XVIII

A CONFESSION (_Wednesday, June 19; 1 p.m._) When we were again outside Markham asked: “How in Heaven’s name did you know she had put up her jewels to help Pfyfe?” “My charmin’ metaphysical deductions, don’t y’ know,” answered Vance. “As I told you, Benson was not the open-handed, big-hearted altruist who would have lent money without security; and certainly the impecunious Pfyfe had no collateral worth ten thousand dollars, or he wouldn’t have forged the check. _Ergo_: someone lent him the secu…