the case and subpoenaed Mr. Morton as a
witness, so that gentleman--if he wished to hush the matter up, or had
been in any way terrorised into a promise of doing so--gained nothing by
his refusal, except an additional amount of curiosity in the public mind
and further sensation around the mysterious case.

"It was all this, you see, which had interested me and brought me down
to Brighton on March 23rd to see the prisoner Edward Skinner arraigned
before the beak. I must say that he was a very ordinary-looking
individual. Fair, of ruddy complexion, with snub nose and the beginning
of a bald place on the top of his head, he, too, looked the embodiment
of a prosperous, stodgy 'City gent.'

"I took a quick survey of the witnesses present, and guessed that the
handsome, stylish woman sitting next to Mr. Reginald Pepys, the noted
lawyer for the Crown, was Mrs. Morton.

"There was a large crowd in court, and I heard whispered comments among
the feminine portion thereof as to the beauty of Mrs. Morton's gown,
the value of her large picture hat, and the magnificence of her diamond
rings.

"The police gave all the evidence required with regard to the finding of
Mr. Morton in the room at Russell House and also to the arrest of
Skinner at the Langham Hotel in London. It appears that the prisoner
seemed completely taken aback at the charge preferred against him, and
declared that though he knew Mr. Francis Morton slightly in business he
knew nothing as to his private life.

"'Prisoner stated,' continued Inspector Buckle, 'that he was not even
aware Mr. Morton lived in Brighton, but I have evidence here, which I
will place before your Honour, to prove that the prisoner was seen in
the company of Mr. Morton at 9.30 o'clock on the morning of the
assault.'

"Cross-examined by Mr. Matthew Quiller, the detective-inspector admitted
that prisoner merely said that he did not know that Mr. Morton was a
_resident_ of Brighton--he never denied having met him there.

"The witness, or rather witnesses, referred to by the police were two
Brighton tradesmen who knew Mr. Morton by sight and had seen him on the
morning of the 17th walking with the accused.

"In this instance Mr. Quiller had no question to ask of the witnesses,
and it was generally understood that the prisoner did not wish to
contradict their statement.

"Constable Hartrick told the story of the finding of the unfortunate
Mr. Morton after his four days' incarceration. The co