had watched them from time to time; it
was plain to him that they regarded the whole affair as a novel sort of
entertainment; they might have been idlers in some Eastern bazaar,
listening to the unfolding of many tales from the professional
tale-tellers. Now, as their father entered the box, Spargo looked at
them again; he saw nothing more than a little heightening of colour in
their cheeks, a little brightening of their eyes.

"All that they feel," he thought, "is a bit of extra excitement at the
idea that their father is mixed up in this delightful mystery. Um!
Well--now how much is he mixed up?"

And he turned to the witness-box and from that moment never took his
eyes off the man who now stood in it. For Spargo had ideas about the
witness which he was anxious to develop.

The folk who expected something immediately sensational in Mr.
Aylmore's evidence were disappointed. Aylmore, having been sworn, and
asked a question or two by the Coroner, requested permission to tell,
in his own way, what he knew of the dead man and of this sad affair;
and having received that permission, he went on in a calm,
unimpassioned manner to repeat precisely what he had told Spargo. It
sounded a very plain, ordinary story. He had known Marbury many years
ago. He had lost sight of him for--oh, quite twenty years. He had met
him accidentally in one of the vestibules of the House of Commons on
the evening preceding the murder. Marbury had asked his advice. Having
no particular duty, and willing to do an old acquaintance a good turn,
he had gone back to the Anglo-Orient Hotel with Marbury, had remained
awhile with him in his room, examining his Australian diamonds, and had
afterwards gone out with him. He had given him the advice he wanted;
they had strolled across Waterloo Bridge; shortly afterwards they had
parted. That was all he knew.

The court, the public, Spargo, everybody there, knew all this already.
It had been in print, under a big headline, in the _Watchman_. Aylmore
had now told it again; having told it, he seemed to consider that his
next step was to leave the box and the court, and after a perfunctory
question or two from the Coroner and the foreman of the jury he made a
motion as if to step down. But Spargo, who had been aware since the
beginning of the enquiry of the presence of a certain eminent counsel
who represented the Treasury, cocked his eye in that gentleman's
direction, and was not surprised to see him rise in