"I had been to see my lad, who lives over Rakes Royd. He wur married twelve months ago, and his missis sent me word that he were very poorly. I stayed wi' him most o' th' night, and then walked back so's to be in time for my wark." "And you say you think it was about five o'clock when you passed Howden Clough?" "Ay, it wur." "Tell the jury what you saw." "Well, I were going along th' road, when I thought I heerd somebody moaning. I wondered what it could be, and I stopped still. I wur in the lane not far from the big 'ouse, and I heerd footsteps." "Was it a man's voice or a woman's voice you heard?" "I thought it were a man's voice." "Well, go on." "I had not been standing still above 'aaf a minute when I see'd a man coming toward me. He come close to where I was, and then he stopped still." "Did he see you?" "Nay; he couldna see me, for I was standing close t' th' edge, and he was looking straight on." "Did you recognise who it was?" "Ay, I did. It were Maaster Paul Stepaside." "You are certain of this?" "Ay, I'm certain." "But you said it was dark, just now. How could you be certain who it was in the dark?" "Well, it was noan so dark as all that, and as I had been walking four mile, my eyes had got accustomed to the darkness; and more than that, there was a break in the clouds just then, and I think there must have been a bit of moonlight. Anyhow, I can swear it were Mr. Paul Stepaside." "Did he speak to you?" "Nay; he never spoke to me. As I told you, he never seed me, but were looking straight on." "Did he seem calm, self-possessed?" "Nay; all t' other way. He looked like a man beside hissen." "Did you hear him say anything?" "Ay, I did. I heerd him say, 'My God! I never thought it would come to this,' or summat like that. I won't be sure as to the exact words, but it was summat like that." "Did he stand beside you long?" "Nay, not more than while one could count ten, perhaps. Then he rushed off, and he were muttering to hissen; but what he were saying aw could noan make out." "And that was all?" "Ay, that was all." "But you did not tell this at the inquest." "Nay; I didn't want to be dragged into it. Besides, I didn't know what it meant; but I did mention it to my missis, and my missis mentioned it to the wife of a policeman, who told it to her 'usband; and that's how it come out."