"I'll answer that! He did not." "Where was he, while you were at Dr. Wellesley's? Had you left him at home?" "No, he had gone out before I went out myself. As to where he was, I should say he was either at the Conservative Club or at Mr. Simon Crood's. Is it relevant?" Amidst a ripple of laughter Meeking made a gesture which signified that he had done with Mrs. Mallett, and she presently stepped down from the witness-box. Meeking turned to the Coroner. "I want to have Dr. Wellesley in that box again, sir," he said. "Let Dr. Wellesley be recalled," commanded the Coroner. Wellesley, once more in the full gaze of the court, looked vexed and impatient. Those who had occasionally glanced at him while Mrs. Mallett was giving her evidence had observed that he showed signs of being by no means pleased at the turn things had taken since her sudden intervention--sometimes he had frowned; once or twice he had muttered to himself. And he now looked blackly at Meeking as the barrister once more confronted him. "You have heard the evidence of the last witness?" asked Meeking abruptly. "All of it," replied Wellesley. "Is it correct as to details of time?" "So far as I recollect, quite!" "When Mrs. Mallett went by the private door between your drawing-room and the Moot Hall to see the Mayor, what did you do?" "Waited for her in my drawing-room." "How long was she away?" "Five minutes perhaps." "Had you made any appointment with the Mayor on her behalf?" "No. I had not." "You sent her to see him on the chance of her finding him there--in the Mayor's Parlour?" "There was no chance about it. I knew--as a good many other people did--that just then Wallingford spent almost every evening in the Mayor's Parlour." "Had you ever visited him in the Mayor's Parlour during these evening attendances of his?" "Oh, yes--several times!" "By this communicating door?" "Certainly. And he had made use of it in coming to see me." "Do you know what the Mayor was doing on these occasions--I mean, do you know why he spent so much time at the Mayor's Parlour of an evening?" "Yes. He was going as thoroughly as he could into the financial affairs of the Corporation." "Now I want to put a very particular question to you--with the object of getting at some solution of this mystery. What was Mrs. Mallett's business with you and the Mayor?" "I cannot reply to that." "You won't give me an answer?" "I won't!" "Do you base your refusal on professional privilege, doctor?" "No! Not at all. Mrs. Mallett's business was of an absolutely private nature. It had nothing whatever to do with the subject of this inquiry--I tell you that on my honour, on my oath. Nothing whatever!" "You mean--directly?" Meeking threw a good deal of significance into this question, which he put slowly, and with a peculiarly meaning glance at his witness. But Wellesley either did not see or affected not to see any significance, and his answer came promptly: