Questioned on this point during his cross-examination, La Planta admitted having spent some years of his life in the East, also that he had known Stapleton in China. The question put as a trap: “Did you ever borrow money from deceased?” he emphatically negatived. “Now can you,” asked the cross-examiner a little later, “account for the fact that some drops of a very rare perfume, the name and nature of which I need not for the moment specify, were found on the left sleeve of the fancy tunic you wore at the Albert Hall ball, and that some of the same perfume was discovered on the fancy dress suit worn by deceased that night?” “Certainly,” La Planta answered without an instant’s hesitation. “I had a little phial of the perfume with me at the ball, and as Mr. Schomberg told me he liked the scent very much I gave him a little. In fact I sprayed it on his clothes myself.” “And where did you obtain the perfume? I understand it is not to be had in London.” “Quite true. I have to get it from abroad.” “‘Abroad,’ is a big place, Mr. La Planta,” the examining counsel observed dryly. “May I ask you to be more definite in your statement? Perhaps you will tell me from what town or place ‘abroad’ it is, or was, sent to you?” “Shanghai.” “Shanghai! Indeed! This is most interesting. And who sends it to you from Shanghai? May I have his--or her--name and address?” At once La Planta scribbled on a scrap of paper which he then handed to counsel for the prosecution. When the latter had conferred in undertones with his solicitor, he continued: “Are you aware, Mr. La Planta, that this perfume may not be legally sold or bought in this country without a special license, also that to import it is illegal, owing to its being, in addition to a perfume, an extremely potent drug possessing peculiar properties?” “I am aware of that.” “And yet you deliberately imported it?” “I did.” To all present in Court it was obvious examining counsel was becoming annoyed at La Planta’s frank and unhesitating replies to questions meant to disconcert him. For nearly two hours the examination continued, and when at last it ended the witness left the Court “without a stain upon his character” so far as the Jew’s death was concerned. CHAPTER XX. CONCERNS A RUMOR. Preston had impatiently awaited the result of La Planta’s cross-examination, and the verdict disappointed him. For secretly he felt convinced still that even if the young man had not directly connived at the money-lender’s death, yet that he could throw light on the cause of death if he wished to.