y--and, of set purpose,
half-incredulously. There was something intentionally sceptical,
cynical, in his tone when, at last, he spoke:

"Do you say--on oath--that you went, through the door between Dr.
Wellesley's house and the Moot Hall, to the Mayor's Parlour--that
evening?"

"To the door of the Mayor's Parlour," corrected Mrs. Mallett. "Yes. I
do. I did!"

"Was the door closed?"

"The door was closed."

"But you say you heard voices?"

"I heard voices--within."

"Whose voices?"

"That I can't say. I couldn't distinguish them."

"Well, did you hear the Mayor's voice?"

"I tell you I couldn't distinguish any voice. There were two people
talking inside the Mayor's Parlour, anyway, in loud voices. It seemed to
me that they were both talking at the same time--in fact, I thought----"

"What did you think?" demanded Meeking, as Mrs. Mallett paused.

"Well, I thought that, whoever they were, the two people were
quarrelling--the voices were loud, lifted, angry, I thought."

"And yet you couldn't distinguish them?"

"No, I couldn't. I might have recognized the Mayor's voice perhaps, if
I'd gone closer to the door and listened, but I didn't stay. As soon as
I heard--what I have told you of--I went straight back."

"By the same way? To Dr. Wellesley's drawing-room?"

"Yes."

"What happened then?"

"I told Dr. Wellesley that the Mayor had somebody with him and that they
appeared to be having high words, and as I didn't want to stop he
suggested that I should come again next evening. Then I went home."

"In the same way--by the private door into Piper's Passage?"

"Exactly."

"Did Dr. Wellesley go downstairs with you and let you out?"

"He did."

"See anybody about on that occasion?"

"No--no one."

Meeking paused, and after a glance round the table at which he was
standing looked at his notes.

"Now, Mrs. Mallett," he said presently, "what time was this--I mean,
when you left Dr. Wellesley's?"

"A little before a quarter to eight. The clock struck a quarter to eight
just after I got into my own house."

"And--where is your house?"

"Next door to the Moot Hall. Dr. Wellesley's house is on one side of the
Moot Hall; ours is on the other."

"It would take you a very short time, then, to go home?"

"A minute or two."

"Very well. And you went to Dr. Wellesley's at 7.30?"

"Just about that."

"Then you were with him most of the time you were there--in his
drawing-room?"

"Certainly! Al