"He might have done it without your noticing it, I suppose?"
"If he was clever enough to murder the poor gentleman, he was clever
enough to try and poison me."
The JUDGE: "The witness in her replies must confine herself to the
evidence."
Mr. SPIGOT, Q.C.: "I must submit to your lordship that it is a very
logical answer, and exactly illustrates the interdependence of the
probabilities. Now, Mrs. Drabdump, let us know what happened when you
awoke at half-past six the next morning." Thereupon Mrs. Drabdump
recapitulated the evidence (with new redundancies, but slight variations)
given by her at the inquest. How she became alarmed--how she found the
street door locked by the big lock--how she roused Grodman, and got him
to burst open the door--how they found the body--all this with which the
public was already familiar _ad nauseam_ was extorted from her afresh.
"Look at this key (key passed to witness). Do you recognise it?"
"Yes; how did you get it? It's the key of my first-floor front. I am sure
I left it sticking in the door."
"Did you know a Miss Dymond?"
"Yes, Mr. Mortlake's sweetheart. But I knew he would never marry her,
poor thing." (Sensation.)
"Why not?"
"He was getting too grand for her." (Amusement.)
"You don't mean anything more than that?"
"I don't know; she only came to my place once or twice. The last time I
set eyes on her must have been in October."
"How did she appear?"
"She was very miserable, but she wouldn't let you see it." (Laughter.)
"How has the prisoner behaved since the murder?"
"He always seemed very glum and sorry for it."
Cross-examined: "Did not the prisoner once occupy the bedroom of Mr.
Constant, and give it up to him, so that Mr. Constant might have the two
rooms on the same floor?"
"Yes, but he didn't pay as much."
"And, while occupying this front bedroom, did not the prisoner once lose
his key and have another made?"
"He did; he was very careless."
"Do you know what the prisoner and Mr. Constant spoke about on the night
of December 3rd?"
"No; I couldn't hear."
"Then how did you know they were quarrelling?"
"They were talkin' so loud."
Sir CHARLES BROWN-HARLAND, Q.C. (sharply): "But I'm talking loudly to you
now. Should you say I was quarrelling?"
"It takes two to make a quarrel." (Laughter.)
"Was prisoner the sort of man who, in your opinion, would commit a
murder?"
"No, I never should ha' guessed it was him."
"He always struck you as a thorough gentleman?"
"No, my lud. I knew he was only a comp."
"You say the prisoner has seemed depressed since the murder. Might not
that have been due to the disappearance of his sweetheart?"
"No, he'd more likely be glad to get rid of her."
"Then he wouldn't be jealous if Mr. Constant took her off his hands?"
(Sensation.)
"Men are dog-in-the-mangers."
"Never mind about men, Mrs. Drabdump. Had the prisoner ceased to care for
Miss Dymond?"
"He didn't seem to think of her, my lud. When he got a letter in her
handwriting among his heap he used to throw it aside till he'd torn open
the others."
BROWN-HARLAND, Q.C. (with a triumphant ring in his voice): "Thank you,
Mrs. Drabdump. You may sit down."
SPIGOT, Q.C.: "One moment, Mrs. Drabdump. You say the prisoner had ceased
to care for Miss Dymond. Might not this have been in consequence of his
suspecting for some time that she had relations with Mr. Constant?"