h
Surveyor's evidence.

The whole block of masonry between Copper Alley and Piper's Passage,
testified Walkershaw, illustrating his observations by pointing to the
large diagram held on high by his clerk, was extremely ancient. In it
there were three separate buildings--separate, that was, in their use,
but all joining on to each other. First, next to Copper Alley, which ran
out of Meadow Gate, came the big house long used as a bank. Then came
the Moot Hall itself. Next, between the Moot Hall and Piper's Passage,
which was a narrow entry between River Gate and St. Lawrence Lane, stood
Dr. Wellesley's house. Until comparatively recent times Dr. Wellesley's
house had been the official residence of the Mayor of Hathelsborough.
And between it and the Moot Hall there was a definite means of
communication: in short, a private door.

There was a general pricking of ears upon this announcement, and Tansley
indulged in a low whistle: he saw the significance of Walkershaw's
statement.

"Another link in the chain, Brent!" he muttered. "'Pon my word, they're
putting it together rather cleverly: nineteen minutes' absence? door
between his house and the Moot Hall? Come!"

Brent made no comment. He was closely following the Borough Surveyor as
that worthy pointed out on his plans and diagrams the means of
communication between the Moot Hall and the old dwelling-place at its
side. In former days, said Walkershaw, some Mayor of Hathelsborough had
caused a door to be made in a certain small room in the house; that door
opened on a passage in the Moot Hall which led to the corridor wherein
the Mayor's Parlour was situated. It had no doubt been used by many
occupants of the Mayoral chair during their term of office. Of late,
however, nobody seemed to have known of it; but he himself having
examined it, for the purposes of this inquiry, during the last day or
two, had found that it showed unmistakable signs of recent usage. In
fact, the lock and bolts had quite recently been oiled.

The evidence of this witness came to a dramatic end in the shape of a
question from the Coroner:

"How long would it take, then, for any person to pass from Dr.
Wellesley's house to the Mayor's Parlour in the Moot Hall?"

"One minute," replied Walkershaw promptly. "If anything--less."

Cotman, who had been whispering with his client during the Borough
Surveyor's evidence, asked no questions, and presently the interest of
the court shifted to a little s