was in murdering your victim."

"I have told you already! Lady Beltham is not to be implicated in my
deed in any way! I had constant business dealings with Lord Beltham; I
asked him, over the telephone, to come to my place one day. He came. We
had an animated discussion; he got warm and I answered angrily; then I
lost control of myself and in a moment of madness I killed him! I am
profoundly sorry for my crime and stoop to crave pardon for it; but I
cannot tolerate the suggestion that the murder I committed was in the
remotest way due to sentimental relations with a lady who is, I repeat,
entitled to the very highest respect from the whole world."

A murmur of sympathy ran through the court at this chivalrous
declaration, by which the jury, who had not missed a word, seemed to be
entirely convinced. But the President was trained to track truth in
detail, and he turned again to Lady Beltham who still stood in the
witness-box, very pale, and swaying with distress.

"You must forgive me if I attach no importance to a mere assertion,
madame. The existence of some relations between yourself and the
prisoner, which delicacy would prompt him to conceal, and honour would
compel you to deny, would alter the whole aspect of this case." He
turned to the usher. "Recall Mme. Doulenques, please."

Mme. Doulenques considered it a tremendous honour to be called as
witness in a trial with which the press was ringing, and was
particularly excited because she had just been requested to pose for her
photograph by a representative of her own favourite paper. She followed
the usher to where Lady Beltham stood.

"You told us just now, Mme. Doulenques," the President said suavely,
"that your lodger, Gurn, often received visits from a lady friend. You
also said that if this lady were placed before you, you would certainly
recognise her. Now will you kindly look at the lady in the box: is this
the same person?"

Mme. Doulenques, crimson with excitement, and nervously twisting in her
hands a huge pair of white gloves which she had bought for this
occasion, looked curiously at Lady Beltham.

"Upon my word I can't be sure that this is the lady," she said after
quite a long pause.

"But you were so certain of your facts just now," the President smiled
encouragingly.

"But I can't see the lady very well, with all those veils on," Mme.
Doulenques protested.

Lady Beltham did not wait for the request which the President would
inevitably ha