Meeking suddenly dropped back into his seat and began to shuffle his papers. The Coroner glanced at Cotman--and Cotman, with a cynical smile, got to his feet and confronted the witness. "Was it your young man that you went out to meet at a quarter to eight o'clock that evening?" he asked. "Yes, sir," admitted the girl. "What's his name?" "Joe Green, sir." "Did you tell Joe Green that you'd just seen Dr. Wellesley come out of his drawing-room?" "No, sir!" "Why not?" "Because I didn't think anything of it, sir." "You didn't think anything of it? And pray when did you begin to think something of it?" "Well, sir, it was--it was when the police began asking questions." "And of whom did they ask questions?" "Me and the other servants, sir." "Dr. Wellesley's servants?" "Yes, sir." "How many servants has Dr. Wellesley?" "Four, sir--and a boy." "So the police came asking questions, did they? About Dr. Wellesley? What about him?" "Well, sir, it was about what we knew of Dr. Wellesley's movements on that evening, sir--where he was from half-past seven to eight o'clock. Then I remembered, sir." "And told the police?" "No, sir--not then. I said nothing to anybody--at first." "But you did later on. Now, to whom?" The witness here began to show more signs of tearfulness. "Don't cry!" said Cotman. "Whom did you first mention this to?" "Well, sir, it was to Mrs. Lane. I got so upset about it that I told her." "Who is Mrs. Lane?" "She's the lady that looks after the Girls' Friendly Society, sir." "Are you a member of that?" "Yes, sir." "So you went and told Mrs. Lane all about it?" "Yes, sir." "What did Mrs. Lane say?" "She said I must tell Mr. Hawthwaite, sir." "Did she take you to Mr. Hawthwaite?" "Yes, sir." "And you told him all that you have told us now?" "Yes, sir--Mrs. Lane said I must." "You didn't want to, eh?" Here the girl burst into tears, and Cotman turned to the Coroner. "I have no further questions to put to this witness, sir," he said, "but I would make a respectful suggestion to yourself. That is, that my client, Dr. Wellesley, should be called at once. We know now that the police have been secretly working up a case against Dr. Wellesley--in fact, I am very much surprised that, ignoring these proceedings altogether, they have not gone to the length of arresting him! Perhaps that's a card which Superintendent Hawthwaite still keeps up his sleeve. I may tell him, on behalf of my client, that he's quite welcome to arrest Dr. Wellesley and bring him before the magistrates whenever he likes! But as Dr. Wellesley's name has been very freely mentioned this morning I think it will be only fair, sir, that he should be allowed to go into that box at once, where he will give evidence on oath----"