WITNESS: John Jasper. MR. WALTERS: Do you remember a party at Canon Crisparkle’s shortly after your arrival? WITNESS: On the night of our arrival. MR. WALTERS: Who was there? WITNESS: Myself, Miss Twinkleton, and Rosa Bud, and Edwin Drood, and John Jasper. MR. WALTERS: You are sure John Jasper was there? WITNESS: Yes; I noticed him particularly. MR. WALTERS: Why? WITNESS: Because of his strange manner towards Rosa Bud. MR. WALTERS: How? WITNESS: He watched her closely. During the evening she sang to his accompaniment, and his eyes were fixed on her the whole time with a most peculiar expression, and this seemed to trouble Rosa, although she was not looking at him. Suddenly she covered her face with her hands, burst into tears, and said she was frightened and wanted to be taken away. MR. WALTERS: You don’t think it was pure imagination on her part? She was frightened? WITNESS: Yes. MR. WALTERS: When people are frightened there is danger about generally. Did you think there was any danger in his looking at her? WITNESS: I thought there was danger in his looks. MR. WALTERS: Did you ever speak to her about it? WITNESS: Yes. She said she was terrified at him; that he haunted her like a ghost, and that he made secret love to her. MR. WALTERS: And she didn’t like it? WITNESS: She begged me to take care of her, and stay with her. MR. WALTERS: Did you promise to do so? WITNESS: I said I would protect her. MR. WALTERS: Be very careful. If this man frightened her, would he not equally frighten you? WITNESS: In no circumstances. MR. WALTERS: That is because you are a woman of daring? WITNESS: I suppose so. MR. WALTERS: If you promised to shield and protect her, you did not content yourself with words. Did you take any action? WITNESS: I kept a sort of watch on John Jasper. MR. WALTERS: Why on Jasper? WITNESS: Because I felt that he menaced Rosa’s peace and happiness. MR. WALTERS: You thought he was the source of the danger? WITNESS: No one but Jasper. MR. WALTERS: Had she any enemies? WITNESS: No; she was too sweet and lovable. MR. WALTERS: And you thought it was John Jasper, and John Jasper alone? WITNESS: Yes. MR. WALTERS: We will leave that for a moment, and come to your brother. You are very intimate with your brother, and he confides in you. Were he and Drood friendly? WITNESS: Yes, but they had a little misunderstanding. MR. WALTERS: Misunderstanding? WITNESS: Only a difference of opinion. MR. WALTERS: Did you think it would lead your brother to make an attack on him? WITNESS: The idea is preposterous. MR. WALTERS: They had a quarrel at the outset? WITNESS: My brother did not like the way in which Edwin Drood spoke of Rosa Bud. He thought he was too patronising. John Jasper came up, made a great deal more of it than it warranted, and then insisted on the young men going back with him to have a glass of wine—stirrup-cup, he called it. MR. WALTERS: What was the effect on your brother?