COKESON. You make it very hard for me. I give you the word, and you want me to give you another. CLEAVER. [Rapping his desk] Does "funny" mean mad? CLEAVER. Not mad, fun---- CLEAVER. Very well! Now you say he had his collar unbuttoned? Was it a hot day? COKESON. Ye-es; I think it was. CLEAVER. And did he button it when you called his attention to it? COKESON. Ye-es, I think he did. CLEAVER. Would you say that that denoted insanity? He sits downs. COKESON, who has opened his mouth to reply, is left gaping. FROME. [Rising hastily] Have you ever caught him in that dishevelled state before? COKESON. No! He was always clean and quiet. FROME. That will do, thank you. COKESON turns blandly to the JUDGE, as though to rebuke counsel for not remembering that the JUDGE might wish to have a chance; arriving at the conclusion that he is to be asked nothing further, he turns and descends from the box, and sits down next to JAMES and WALTER. FROME. Ruth Honeywill. RUTH comes into court, and takes her stand stoically in the witness-box. She is sworn. FROME. What is your name, please? RUTH. Ruth Honeywill. FROME. How old are you? RUTH. Twenty-six. FROME. You are a married woman, living with your husband? A little louder. RUTH. No, sir; not since July. FROME. Have you any children? RUTH. Yes, sir, two. FROME. Are they living with you? RUTH. Yes, sir. FROME. You know the prisoner? RUTH. [Looking at him] Yes. FROME. What was the nature of your relations with him? RUTH. We were friends. THE JUDGE. Friends? RUTH. [Simply] Lovers, sir. THE JUDGE. [Sharply] In what sense do you use that word? RUTH. We love each other. THE JUDGE. Yes, but---- RUTH. [Shaking her head] No, your lordship--not yet. THE JUDGE. 'Not yet! H'm! [He looks from RUTH to FALDER] Well! FROME. What is your husband? RUTH. Traveller. FROME. And what was the nature of your married life? RUTH. [Shaking her head] It don't bear talking about. FROME. Did he ill-treat you, or what? RUTH. Ever since my first was born. FROME. In what way? RUTH. I'd rather not say. All sorts of ways. THE JUDGE. I am afraid I must stop this, you know. RUTH. [Pointing to FALDER] He offered to take me out of it, sir. We were going to South America. FROME. [Hastily] Yes, quite--and what prevented you? RUTH. I was outside his office when he was taken away. It nearly broke my heart. FROME. You knew, then, that he had been arrested? RUTH. Yes, sir. I called at his office afterwards, and [pointing to COKESON] that gentleman told me all about it. FROME. Now, do you remember the morning of Friday, July 7th? RUTH. Yes. FROME. Why? RUTH. My husband nearly strangled me that morning. THE JUDGE. Nearly strangled you! RUTH. [Bowing her head] Yes, my lord. FROME. With his hands, or----?