"You made a close study of it while you were resident here?" "A very close study. Hathelsborough, from my point of view, is one of the most deeply interesting towns in England. While I lived here I accumulated a vast mass of material respecting its history and antiquities, with the idea of writing a monograph on the borough. But I have never made use of it." "Let us hope that you will still do so, Dr. Pellery," said Meeking, with a suave smile and polite bow. But Dr. Pellery shook his head and stroked his long beard. A cynical smile played round his wrinkled eyes. "No, I don't think I ever shall," he said. "Indeed, I'm sure I shan't!" "May I ask why?" "You may! Because there aren't twenty people in Hathelsborough who would buy such a book. Hathelsborough people don't care twopence about the history of their old town--all they care about is money. This case is a proof!" "I think we'll get back to the case," said Meeking, amidst a ripple of laughter. "Well, we may consider you as the greatest living expert on Hathelsborough anyway, Dr. Pellery, and eminently fitted to give us some very important evidence. Do you know the ancient church of St. Lawrence at the back of this Moot Hall?" "Ay, as well as I know my own face in the glass!" answered Dr. Pellery with a short laugh. "Every stone of it!" "It is, I believe, a very old church?" "It is the oldest church, not only in Hathelsborough, which is saying a good deal, but in all this part of the county," replied the witness with emphasis. "St. Hathelswide, the parish church, is old, but St. Lawrence ante-dates it by at least five hundred years. The greater part of St. Lawrence, as it now stands, was complete in the eighth century: St. Hathelswide was built in the thirteenth." Meeking produced a large chart, evidently made for the occasion, and had it set up on the table, in full view of the bench and the witness-box. "From this plan, Dr. Pellery, it appears that the west tower, a square tower, of St. Lawrence immediately faces the back of the Moot Hall. And between the outer wall of the tower and the outer wall of the Moot Hall there is a sort of connecting wall----" "Not a sort of," interrupted Dr. Pellery. "It is a connecting wall, thirty-six feet long, ten feet high, and eight feet in width, forming an arch over the street beneath--the narrow street called St. Lawrence Lane." "It is an uncommon feature, that wall?" suggested Meeking. "Comparatively--yes. I know of other places where ancient buildings are so joined. But there are few examples." "Well, I want to ask you a very important question about that connecting wall. Is there a secret way through that wall from St. Lawrence tower to the Moot Hall?" Dr. Pellery drew himself up, stroked his beard, and glanced round the court. Then he gave Meeking an emphatic nod. "There is! And I discovered it--years ago. And I have always thought that I was the only living person who knew of it!"