"You have come here," said I, "on an errand as counsel for Chairo, because you feared he would not control his temper. Are you going to lose yours?" I had clutched Ariston by the arm, and at first he tried to extricate himself from me, but he saw the force of my argument, and, looking a little mortified, he said: "Xenos is right. I have no right to prejudice Chairo's case by taking up a quarrel of my own. Xenos, however, is a witness to the words you have used and the animus you have shown. Now publish a word of comment if you dare!" Then, turning abruptly to the door, we both left the room. As soon as we were out of the building Ariston, who was trembling with suppressed passion, said: "This man has to be scotched! He means mischief and is in a position to do mischief unless we can make Chairo's innocence in this matter clear as day. Let us summon the janitor at once before an examining magistrate and get _all_ the facts from him. You understand me--_all_!" I understood him, and appreciated the value of a procedure that enabled any citizen to demand at any time the examination of any other citizen before a magistrate--subject, of course, to a heavy penalty in case the proceeding turned out to be unreasonable and vexatious. Had either of us gone to the janitor ourselves we would have been accused of having influenced him, so we addressed ourselves directly to a magistrate who sent a messenger for the janitor and secured his attendance within half an hour. The janitor answered rapidly under interrogation as to the attendance of both Chairo and Lydia at the hour named. "Now tell us," asked Ariston, "who was in Masters's apartment at the time." "Masters's aunt." "Was no one else there?" "Yes, a messenger of Masters went backward and forward several times." Ariston demanded the name of the messenger, and the magistrate at once sent for him. Ariston continued the examination. "Was no one else in Masters's apartment besides his aunt?" "I do not _know_ of any one else being there." He emphasized the word "know." "When did Masters leave?" "About two in the afternoon." "Did no one else go to his rooms from two in the afternoon to the arrival of Lydia next morning?" "Not to my knowledge." Again he emphasized the word "knowledge." "You do not know of your knowledge just where every one who passes your lodge goes?" "No." "Who passed your lodge and went to Masters's staircase on the day before Chairo and Lydia went there?" The janitor mentioned here a large number of persons, and then added: "There may have been others; I don't see every one who passes the lodge." "Did any one that night gain admission after dark?" "A great many." "Did you get the names of all?" "Yes--of all--at least, there was one I did not get." At last the janitor hesitated, and it seemed clear that Ariston was on the right scent. "Who was it?" "I don't know. I was sleepy, I did not insist."