The Nine of Hearts. B. L. Farjeon

       III.

      THE EVIDENCE OF ADOLF WOLFSTEIN, WAITER.

      The next witness called was Adolf Wolfstein, a waiter in Prevost's Restaurant.

      The Attorney-general. "Your name is Adolf Wolfstein?"

      Witness. "Yes."

      The Attorney-general. "What is your trade?"

      Witness. "I am a waiter."

      The Attorney-general. "Where are you employed?"

      Witness. "At Prevost's, in Church Street, Soho."

      The Attorney-general. "How long have you been in employment there?"

      Witness. "A little more than seven weeks."

      The Attorney-general. "Do you remember the date on which you entered your present service?"

      Witness. "Yes, it was the 25th of March."

      The Attorney-general. "So that the 25th of March is impressed upon your memory?"

      Witness. "It is for another reason impressed upon my memory."

      The Attorney-general. "Simply answer the questions I put to you. You are a German?"

      Witness. "No, I am French."

      The Attorney-general. "But your name is German, is it not?"

      Witness. "Wolfstein is. It was my father's name, who settled in France when he was a young man."

      The Attorney-general. "You understand English perfectly?"

      Witness. "Oh yes; perfectly. I spoke it when I was a boy."

      The Attorney-general. "Look at the prisoner. Do you recognize him?"

      Witness. "Yes."

      The Attorney-general. "Did you see him on the 25th of March?"

      Witness. "Yes. Monsieur came to the restaurant on that day."

      The-Attorney-general. "At what hour?"

      Witness. "At eleven o'clock at night."

      The Attorney-general. "Was he alone?"

      Witness. "No; monsieur had a lady with him."

      The Attorney-general. "Did he occupy a private room? If you wish to explain yourself on this matter you can do so."

      Witness. "I was coming down-stairs when I saw monsieur enter from the street with a lady. He looked about him, and seeing me, asked if he could have supper in a private room. I showed monsieur and madame up-stairs to a room in which I served."

      The Attorney-general. "What occurred then?"

      Witness. "I handed monsieur the menu."

      The Attorney-general. "In English, the bill of fare?"

      Witness. "Yes."

      The Attorney-general. "What did he order?"

      Witness. "Tortue claire."

      The Attorney-general. "In English, clear turtle soup?"

      Witness. "Yes."

      The Attorney-general. "Did he consult the lady?"

      Witness. "No."

      The Attorney-general. "Was he long in selecting the kind of soup he ordered?"

      Witness. "No. It was on the instant."

      The Attorney-general. "He merely glanced at the bill of fare?"

      Witness. "That is so."

      The Attorney-general. "Did you get the soup and place it before him?"

      Witness. "I first asked monsieur, For two?' He said, quickly, 'Yes, for two.' Then I served it."

      The Attorney-general. "In a tureen?"

      Witness. "Yes, in a tureen."

      The Attorney-general. "When you placed the soup before him, did he order any wine?"

      Witness. "I handed monsieur the wine-list, and he said, 'Champagne.' I asked him of what kind. He said, 'The best.'"

      The Attorney-general. "You brought the best?"

      Witness. "Yes."

      The Attorney-general. "That is, the most expensive?"

      Witness. "Of necessity."

      The Attorney-general. "When you placed the wine before him, did you observe anything that struck you as unusual?"

      Witness. "Yes; it was that, like other people, they should have been drinking their soup, or have finished it; but they had not drunk it."

      The Attorney-general. "Had it been served from the tureen into their plates?"

      Witness. "No, not a spoonful. It was as I brought it--not touched."

      The Attorney-general. "As they were not eating, what were they doing?"

      Witness. "They were engaged in conversation."

      The Attorney-general. "Very earnestly?"

      Witness. "Very earnestly."

      The Attorney-general. "And speaking very low?"

      Witness. "Very low."

      The Attorney-general. "Did you hear anything they said?"

      Witness. "Not a word."

      The Attorney-general. "Upon observing that they had not commenced their soup, did you make any remark?"

      Witness. "Yes. I said, 'Does not monsieur like the soup?'"

      The Attorney-general. "What was his answer?"

      Witness. "He answered, 'Oh yes, it is very good,' and slightly pushed the tureen away with his hand."

      The Attorney-general. "Indicating that he had done with it?"

      Witness. "I regarded it so, and I removed it."

      The Attorney-general. "Did he object to its being removed?"

      Witness. "No, not at all."

      The Attorney-general. "Did the lady object--did she seem surprised?"

      Witness. "No; she said not a word, nor did she look surprised."

      The Attorney-general. "Your answer to the last question causes me to ask whether the lady was old or young?"

      Witness. "But I do not know."

      The Attorney-general. "You said she did not look surprised?"

      Witness. "It is that she did not appear surprised. She did not look up. In truth, she had her veil down."

      The Attorney general. "Had she removed her cloak?"

      Witness. "No."

      The Attorney-general. "Did she keep it on all the time she was in the room?"

      Witness. "Yes; all the time."

      The Attorney-general. "Now, when you asked the prisoner if he liked the soup, and he answered, 'Oh yes, it is very good,' you were surprised to find that they had not drunk a spoonful?"

      Witness. "Why, yes, it was surprising."

      The Attorney-general. "Did the prisoner pour out the champagne?"

      Witness. "I filled a glass for madame and one for monsieur."

      The Attorney-general. "Did the prisoner order another dish?"

      Witness. "I asked monsieur, 'What will