tler, John Simons, who deposed to having
fastened up the door at half-past ten on the night in question, and to
having found the latch stuck on the following day. He further
described the finding of the blood-stains on the bedroom door-handle.
His cross-examination was listened to with interest.

'Has it ever occurred to you yourself to accidentally raise the latch
too far in the same way?'

'Oh yes, I've often done it, sir.'

'Were you out on the evening of the first of June?'

The butler, a good-natured-looking man, with a pleasant smile, but
whose mind was evidently rather unhinged by the position he found
himself in, looked bewildered at this, and rather frightened. The
barrister hastened to reassure him.

'What I mean is this. If you had been out some time during the
evening, before half-past ten, would it not have been possible for you
to have accidentally left the latch in this position?'

The witness looked relieved, and hastened to answer.

'Yes, of course, I might have.'

Tressamer turned round to the jury to see if they appreciated his
point. Then he resumed.

'You have known Miss Owen some time, I think. Tell me, have you ever
noticed that she was liable to nervous headaches?'

'I have heard her say she had a headache.'

'What was the last time you heard her say so?'

The witness looked puzzled, and seemed to be trying to remember.

'Perhaps I can help you,' said the barrister. 'About this very time,
now; just before this happened?'

'Ah, yes, sir, now you remind me, I remember. When she didn't come
down that morning, I said to Rebecca, "Very likely she's had another
bad night."'

'_Another_ bad night? Then she was liable to insomnia?'

The witness stared.

'I beg your pardon. I mean, she sometimes did suffer from want of
sleep?'

'She sometimes had bad nights, sir.'

'Exactly. And you remembered she had been having them just before
this?'

'Well, no, sir; I can't say as I do remember that.'

The barrister frowned impatiently.

'Well, tell me this,' he said: 'do you know what she was in the habit
of doing on these occasions, when she couldn't get to sleep?'

'No, sir.'

'Did you ever hear of her going out for a walk at night?'

The whole court was eagerly following this cross-examination, as the
defence now began to be visible. But the answer of the witness fell
like lead:

'No.'

Tressamer looked deeply disappointed. He had been baffled just where
he had evidently built