The Nine of Hearts. B. L. Farjeon
"You are sure of that?"
Witness. "Quite sure, sir."
The Attorney-general. "Is your eyesight good?"
Witness. "It is very strong. I can see a longish way."
The Attorney-general. "You have been in the habit of driving the prisoner often at night?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "And your eyes, therefore, have got trained to his figure, as it were?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "You have had to look out for him on dark nights from a distance?"
Witness. "I have had to do that, sir."
The Attorney-general. "When the people were coming out of a theatre, for instance?"
Witness. "Yes, sir; and at other places as well."
The Attorney-general. "Therefore, it is not likely you could be mistaken in him?"
Witness. "It is hardly possible, sir."
The Attorney-general. "You remember the night of the 25th of March?"
Witness. "Yes, sir, and the day too."
The Attorney-general. "Why do you include the day in your answer?"
Witness. "Because it was the hardest day's work I have done for many a year."
The Attorney-general. "The hardest day's driving, do you mean?"
Witness. "Yes, sir. I was on the box from eleven o'clock in the morning till an hour past midnight."
The Attorney-general. "Driving your master, the prisoner?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "And no other person?"
Witness. "Not till evening, sir. It was about--"
The Attorney-general. "We will come to the particulars presently. You were not driving all the time?"
Witness. "No, sir; the horses couldn't have stood it."
The Attorney-general. "Do you mean that there were stoppages?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "Did the prisoner usually work his horses so hard?"
Witness. "Not at all, sir. He was a good master to man and beast."
The Attorney-general. "Why do you look so frequently at the prisoner?"
Witness. "I can't tell you, sir, except that I shouldn't like to say anything to hurt him."
The Attorney-general. "But you are here to speak the truth."
Witness. "I intend to speak it, sir."
The Attorney-general. "For reasons which you have given, your remembrance of what occurred on the 25th of March is likely to be exceptionally faithful?"
Witness. "For those and other reasons, sir."
The Attorney-general. "Now, commence on the morning of that day. What were your first instructions?"
Witness. "To be ready with the carriage at eleven o'clock."
The Attorney-general. "You were ready?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "In what way did you fix the time? By guessing?"
Witness. "By my watch, sir--the best time-keeper in London."
The Attorney-general. "At eleven o'clock, then, you were on the box, waiting for your master?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "He came out to you?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "Did he tell you immediately where to drive to?"
Witness. "Not immediately, sir. He stood with his hand on the carriage door, and seemed to be considering."
The Attorney-general. "Did he remain long considering?"
Witness. "For three or four minutes, sir--which seemed a longish time."
The Attorney-general. "And then?"
Witness. "Then he told me to drive to Finchley."
The Attorney-general. "What address did he give you?"
Witness. "None in particular, sir. He said, 'Drive to Finchley, on the road to High Barnet. I will tell you when to stop."
The Attorney-general. "Well?"
Witness. "I drove as directed, and when we were about midway between Finchley and High Barnet he called to me to stop."
The Attorney-general. "Were you then at the gate, or in the front of any house?"
Witness. "No, sir. We were on the high-road, and there was no house within twenty yards of us."
The Attorney-general. "Are you familiar with the locality?"
Witness. "No, sir, I am not."
The Attorney-general. "You had never driven your master there before?"
Witness. "Never, sir."
The Attorney-general. "Would you be able to mark the point of stoppage on a map of the road between Finchley and High Barnet?"
Witness. "I will try, sir, but I shouldn't like to be positive."
(A map was here handed to the witness, who, after a careful study of it, made a mark upon it with a pencil.)
The Attorney-general. "You will not swear that this is the exact spot?"
Witness. "No, sir."
The Attorney-general. "But to the best of your knowledge it is?"
Witness. "Yes, sir, to the best of my knowledge."
The Attorney-general. "The prisoner called to you to stop. What then?"
Witness. "I drew up immediately, and he got out."
The Attorney-general. "What were his next instructions?"
Witness. "He told me to wait for him, and to turn the horses' heads."
The Attorney-general. "Towards London?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "Did he say how long he would be away?"
Witness. "About five or ten minutes, he said."
The Attorney-general. "In point of fact, how long was it before he returned?"
Witness. "Thirty-two minutes by my watch."
The Attorney-general. "You always time yourself?"
Witness. "Yes, sir, always it's a habit."
The Attorney-general. "Did he make any remark upon his return, about his being away longer than he expected?"
Witness. "No, sir. He seemed to be occupied with something."
The Attorney-general. "Occupied in thinking of something?"
Witness. "Yes, sir."
The Attorney-general. "When he left you, in which direction did he go?"
Witness. "He walked on towards High Barnet till he came to a bend in the road. He went round that and I lost sight of him."
The Attorney-general. "Did he return the same way?"
Witness. "No, sir he startled me a bit."
The Attorney-general. "How?"
Witness. "I was looking out for him in the direction he had taken,