MR. CHESTERTON: And also did he tell you that Edwin Drood remembered his uncle in a seizure? WITNESS: I remember that also. MR. CHESTERTON: Did you gather that Drood had had his wine drugged on a previous occasion? WITNESS: I gather that from the Official Records. MR. CHESTERTON: Then, did you claim your promise from Deputy? WITNESS: I did. MR. CHESTERTON: We have been told in evidence that a ring was put in the crypt. WITNESS: Yes? MR. CHESTERTON: Does that surprise you? WITNESS: Not in the least. MR. CHESTERTON: Why? WITNESS: Because I put it there. MR. CHESTERTON: What was your object in pursuing that course? WITNESS: This was the ring, I may say, that I had seen pass from Mr. Grewgious to Drood, of the existence of which, I may perhaps point out, it is obvious from the study of the Official Records, Jasper knew nothing at all; and acting under instructions from Mr. Grewgious, who had received the ring back from Drood, I obtained with the assistance of my friend Durdles access to the Sapsea vault, and therein I placed the ring. My object in doing that was, that subsequently, when Mr. Grewgious offered a reward for the discovery of the ring, the prisoner could be entrapped into a visit to the vault. MR. CHESTERTON: I take it, Mr. Grewgious would plaster Cloisterham with the description of the ring as believed to be on the person of Edwin Drood? WITNESS: That is what he did. MR. CHESTERTON: It would be a large placard? WITNESS: Yes. MR. CHESTERTON: Rather like this? (_Handing to the witness a reproduction of the original cover design for the book._) WITNESS: Very like the second illustration from the top on the left-hand side. MR. CHESTERTON: Very well: that was your plan—that Jasper should be caught taking the ring, and thus be convicted of attempted murder? WITNESS: Quite. MR. CHESTERTON: Of which you believed him to be guilty? WITNESS: Beyond doubt. MR. CHESTERTON: It is not my business to ask you what happened, but I suppose somehow or other he got arrested for actual murder. Is that correct? WITNESS: Quite right. MR. CHESTERTON: Thank you. [THOMAS BAZZARD CROSS-EXAMINED.] MR. WALTERS (_cross-examining_): I think you have said several times that you come from Norfolk? WITNESS: I was born in Norfolk. MR. WALTERS: Is that the country where the dumplings come from? WITNESS: Some, no doubt. MR. WALTERS: Where you come from also! WITNESS: Yes. MR. WALTERS: Curious coincidence! You are a farmer’s son? WITNESS: Yes. MR. WALTERS: And very ambitious? WITNESS: I have not said so. MR. WALTERS: Don’t you want to get on? WITNESS: I don’t think that is very ambitious. I think being very ambitious is more than wanting to get on. MR. WALTERS: In order to get on you came to London from Norfolk? WITNESS: A good many people have done that before, I am afraid. MR. WALTERS: You wanted to give London the benefit of any genius you had? WITNESS: Thank you very much indeed. I wanted to be usefully employed.