"'Is your eyesight good?'--'Very good. I can almost see in the dark.' "'But you could not distinguish colours in the dark?'--'I don't say I could. At all events, I wouldn't swear to them.' "'You have stated that you did not see the prisoner. But did you see any one you knew?'--'It's hard to answer.' "'Not at all. You must be able to state whether you saw anything, before you left Parksides, that attracted your attention.'--'I am able to state that, but I answer your questions as you put them to me.' "'And I do not complain of your answers. I am pleased to say that you are giving your evidence in a perfectly straightforward manner.'--'Thank you, sir.' "'Well, then, you say you did not see any one whom you knew; but did you see any one at all?'--'Yes, I did. A woman.' "'How do you know it was a woman?'--'By her dress.' "'You saw that?'--'Clearly.' "'I wish to lead up intelligibly and distinctly to this, and I am sure you will assist me--your desire being that justice shall be done?'--'It is my desire, sir; then everything will be right.' "'You saw a woman, you say. Did you see her only once?'--'I saw her three times.' "'At what distance was she from you?'--'Say thirty or forty yards.' "'Always at about that distance?'--'Always at about that.' "'Among the trees?'--'Yes.' "'Did you walk toward her?'--'Yes.' "'Well?'--'Then she disappeared.' "'On every occasion?'--'On every occasion.' "'As if she were hiding from you?'--'It looked like it.' "'As if discovering that you were walking toward her, she did not wish you to see her?'--'It's fair to say that.' "'Was her face turned toward you?'--'Never once.' "'Then you could not recognize it?'--'It wasn't possible.' "'That is why you say you did not see any one whom you knew?'--'Yes, that is the reason.' "'However, you knew it was a woman by her dress?'--'Yes.' "'By the form or the colour of her dress?'--'More by the colour than the form, though I am certain both ways.' "'But the colour enables you to be quite positive?'--'Yes.' "'Now, what was the colour of the dress worn by this woman?'--'It was blue.' "'Is there any possibility that you could have been mistaken?'--'No.' "'You swear it was blue?'--'I swear it.' "'And the woman who wore this blue dress, discovering that you were following her, seemed anxious that you should not see her face?'--'It seemed so.' "These were the salient features of the examination of Tom Barley, corroborated, as they were, by the evidence of witnesses favourable to the prisoner. Lurking about the grounds of Parksides was a woman in a blue dress, who was unmistakably anxious that he should not recognize her. The conclusion is that she was known to him, and that she had reasons for avoiding him.