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"It's true," I said softly.

Octavious walked slowly to the witness stand, his head down. When he was sworn in, he repeated the oath very slowly. I saw that the words were heavy on his tongue and on his heart. He sat quickly, falling into his seat like a man who might otherwise crumple to the floor. Monsieur Polk hesitated and then shrugged to himself and stepped forward on our behalf.

"Monsieur Tate, after your son had first proposed marriage to Ruby Dumas, did you visit Ruby Dumas and ask her to refuse?"

Octavious looked toward Gladys and then he looked down.

"Sir?" Monsieur Polk said.

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"I didn't think Paul was ready to marry," he replied. "He was just starting his oil business and he had just built this home."

"That seems like a good time to think of marriage," Monsieur Polk said. "Wasn't there another reason for your asking Ruby Dumas to refuse your son's proposal?"

Octavious looked at Gladys again. "I knew my wife was unhappy about it," he said.

"But your wife has just testified that she was happy Paul was doing the right thing and she testified that she fully accepted Ruby Dumas into her family. Was that not the case, monsieur?"

"She accepted, yes."

"But not willingly?" Before Octavious could respond, Monsieur Polk followed quickly. "Did you believe the baby was your son's baby?"

"I . . . thought it was possible, yes."

"Yet you went to Ruby Dumas to ask her not to marry your son?"

Octavious didn't reply.

"Did your son tell you Pearl was his child?"

"He. . . said he wanted to provide for Ruby and Pearl."

"But he never said Pearl was his child? Sir?"

"No, not to me."

"But to your wife, who then told you? Is that the way it was?"

"Yes. Yes."

"Then why didn't you think he was doing the right thing?"

"I didn't say he wasn't."

"Yet you admit you didn't want to see the marriage happen. Really, monsieur, this is very confusing. Wasn't there another reason, a more serious reason?"

Octavious turned his head slowly toward me and our eyes met. I pleaded for the truth with mine, even though I knew how

devastating that truth was.

"I don't know what you mean," he said.

"Please," I cried. "Please do the right thing." The judge slammed his gavel down.

"For Paul's sake," I added. Octavious winced and his lips trembled.