dmission to her room, on which
occasion, no doubt, he found an opportunity of destroying the will
which, as far as he knew, would render the one in his favour valid.

The prisoner had been arrested in consequence of the discovery, in his
room, by Detective Inspector Japp--a most brilliant officer--of the
identical phial of strychnine which had been sold at the village
chemist's to the supposed Mr. Inglethorp on the day before the murder.
It would be for the jury to decide whether or not these damning facts
constituted an overwhelming proof of the prisoner's guilt.

And, subtly implying that a jury which did not so decide, was quite
unthinkable, Mr. Philips sat down and wiped his forehead.

The first witnesses for the prosecution were mostly those who had been
called at the inquest, the medical evidence being again taken first.

Sir Ernest Heavywether, who was famous all over England for the
unscrupulous manner in which he bullied witnesses, only asked two
questions.

"I take it, Dr. Bauerstein, that strychnine, as a drug, acts quickly?"

"Yes."

"And that you are unable to account for the delay in this case?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

Mr. Mace identified the phial handed him by Counsel as that sold by
him to "Mr. Inglethorp." Pressed, he admitted that he only knew Mr.
Inglethorp by sight. He had never spoken to him. The witness was not
cross-examined.

Alfred Inglethorp was called, and denied having purchased the poison. He
also denied having quarrelled with his wife. Various witnesses testified
to the accuracy of these statements.

The gardeners' evidence, as to the witnessing of the will was taken, and
then Dorcas was called.

Dorcas, faithful to her "young gentlemen," denied strenuously that it
could have been John's voice she heard, and resolutely declared, in
the teeth of everything, that it was Mr. Inglethorp who had been in the
boudoir with her mistress. A rather wistful smile passed across the
face of the prisoner in the dock. He knew only too well how useless her
gallant defiance was, since it was not the object of the defence to deny
this point. Mrs. Cavendish, of course, could not be called upon to give
evidence against her husband.

After various questions on other matters, Mr. Philips asked:

"In the month of June last, do you remember a parcel arriving for Mr.
Lawrence Cavendish from Parkson's?"

Dorcas shook her head.

"I don't remember, sir. It may have done, but Mr. Lawrence was away