MR. CHESTERTON: I ask you to say, my Lord, that the Jury must entirely disregard the statement about the tapping. THE FOREMAN: How are we to dismiss it from our minds, my Lord? It is a very difficult point. MR. WALTERS: I think I shall leave the Jury to draw their own conclusions. All I want to know from Durdles is, did he have a conversation with Datchery? WITNESS: Yes. MR. WALTERS: Thank you. That is all. WITNESS: Thank you, sir. I’ll drink your health on the way home, p’raps twice, and I won’t go home till morning. [DURDLES CROSS-EXAMINED.] MR. CROTCH: One moment, please. WITNESS: Oh, beg pardon, sir, beg pardon. MR. CROTCH: Now, Durdles, you know all about the destructive qualities of quicklime? WITNESS: Yes. MR. CROTCH: Do you say that quicklime will not destroy metals? WITNESS: No; I don’t think quicklime will destroy metals. MR. CROTCH: You don’t think it will? WITNESS: No, I knows it won’t. MR. CROTCH: Now, Durdles—— JUDGE: I must ask you to address the witness in more respectful terms, such as “Mr.” Durdles. MR. CROTCH: Very well, my Lord. WITNESS: _Mister_ Durdles, sir. MR. CROTCH (_to witness_): I understand you were employed round about the Cathedral, and that you know all about the crypt? WITNESS: Yes, sir. MR. CROTCH: Now, tell me what was the state of the windows in 1860. WITNESS: Ay? MR. CROTCH: I put it to you again. In what state were the windows of the crypt in 1860? WITNESS: Do you mean clean or dirty? MR. CROTCH: I put it to you they were in a very broken condition? WITNESS: Yes, sir; always broken. MR. CROTCH: As a matter of fact, they were not only broken, weren’t they, but partially boarded up? WITNESS: Well, I can’t remember, sir. MR. CROTCH: Can’t remember! You were constantly in the crypt! WITNESS: Some of ’em. MR. CROTCH: How many windows are there? WITNESS: I don’t know. MR. WALTERS: I don’t suppose the witness is expected to count windows! WITNESS: Thank you, sir. MR. CROTCH: Well, now, Mr. Durdles, I will ask you another question. As a matter of fact, have you not on many occasions chased little boys and others out of the crypt? WITNESS: Yes, and they’ve chased me. MR. CROTCH: Where did these boys find their way into the crypt? WITNESS: Ay? MR. CROTCH: You don’t know? WITNESS: No, I don’t. MR. CROTCH: You swear you don’t know? WITNESS: Ay, I swear I don’t know. MR. CROTCH: You have never seen them creeping through the windows of the crypt? WITNESS: Might be; when I’ve been sober. MR. CROTCH: That’ll do. Now, you tell us that you met Mr. Datchery. Is that so? WITNESS: Yes. MR. CROTCH: Have you ever admitted Mr. Datchery to the Sapsea vault? MR. WALTERS: This is going far beyond— MR. CHESTERTON: If my learned friend will look at the first paragraph he will see that in cross-examination the formal witnesses may, in response to specific questions, give explanations not expressly contained in the book. MR. WALTERS: Then I must re-examine the witness.