Mulligan kept trembling while Gypo spoke. He seemed all the time trying to interrupt, but although his lips twitched and his hands trembled he neither moved nor spoke. Gypo finished speaking. His loud, strong voice died out, leaving a sudden silence behind it. There was another slight pause. “What time exactly did you see Mulligan leave the lodging-house?” said Gallagher. “Just half-past six,” replied Gypo immediately. “I know because I looked at the clock in the hall.” “Very well,” said Gallagher. “That will do you, Nolan. Miss McPhillip, what time did your brother arrive at your father’s house?” “He arrived at ten minutes to seven,” said Mary, after a little pause, during which she blushed slightly, glanced at Gallagher and then looked at the ground. “It might be a little earlier than that, but not more than a minute or so. I had just come in from business.” “Did he say anything about being followed when he came?” “No. On the contrary, he said that he was certain that he was not noticed since he came into town at half-past five. Mother was very worried about his being in town, and she wanted to get him away immediately, but he was so confident about being safe that she thought it was all right his staying for the night. He said he met Nolan at the lodging-house. That was the only person he spoke to, he said. He came by back streets after leaving the lodging-house. He never stopped anywhere and he spoke to nobody. He crossed the river at the Metal Bridge. It was pitch-black at that time on account of the rain and the fog. Anybody that knew Frankie’s way of going along, listening to every sound, with ears as sharp as a fox, could hardly believe that he was followed without his knowing it. He came in suddenly by the back entrance through the yard. We thought it was his ghost,” she said with a little shiver of remembrance. She stopped and put her handkerchief to her face. “Thank you, Miss McPhillip,” said Gallagher. “Barney Kerrigan out there?” “Kerrigan there?” “Kerrigan?” “Yes. I’m coming,” came a voice from along the passage somewhere. A tall man, wearing a black slouch hat and a new, though shabby, grey overcoat with a velvet collar, came into the room. He had a revolver strapped over his overcoat at the waist. He saluted and stood to attention. “Did you meet Peter Mulligan at six-thirty this evening?” said Gallagher. “Yes, Commandant,” replied Kerrigan. “I saw him just about that time comin’ down the street. He stopped me to know did I know anythin’ for the Grand National.” “Very well. You are quite sure about the time?” “Well, I couldn’t give ye the exact second, but it couldn’t be more than a minute one way or the other. I knocked off work at six an’ it takes me always just about twenty minutes to walk from the quays as far as Farelly’s. Well, I had a pint in Farelly’s an’ I stopped for a few minutes to talk to the boys, an’ then when I came out I met Peter Mulligan. Just about half-past six I’d say it was.”