“I have the skull.” “Who was your patient?” “Mr. John Dunbar.” So far the case was real, for such a person had been sick with brain fever at the time. “What did you do with the body?” “Sunk it in the channel, as the witnesses have described.” “For what purpose?” “That I might reclaim it for dissection. I spoke about a ‘subject’ to Dr. White, and invited him to assist me; but I had no opportunity to recover the body before it was found by the sheriff.” “When did you make the acquaintance of Mr. Buckstone?” “I never saw him till after dark on the night he was murdered.” “Did you send for him?” “I did.” “Did you write the letter signed Richard Birch?” “I did.” “Where did you get the old envelope?” “Am I to answer all these questions in court?” demanded the doctor. “No, not all of them; in fact, not many of them.” “Why do you put them, then?” “Because I wish to know how the affair was managed.” “We are only supposing a case,” added Dr. Lynch, with a hideous grin. “Very well; let us go on supposing the case a little longer. Where did you get the old envelope?” “It is hardly necessary to be so minute.” “Quite necessary; answer, if you please.” “I found it on the body.” “Where did you write the letter with the signature of Mr. Birch?” “In my office. I went up with the head, and wrote the letter. On my return, I threw away the original letter, and put the one I had written in its place.” “Then you intended that Mr. Birch should be compromised?” “I did.” “You intended to recover the body, but you prepared it to be found by others.” “I was afraid it would be found.” “Why did you intend to implicate Mr. Birch?” “There was good reason why he should be with Buckstone--there was none to explain why I should be his companion.” “Why did you send for him?” “I will not answer another question!” exclaimed Dr. Lynch. “I have been a fool.” “We were only supposing a case.” “We have supposed enough, until you can satisfy me what I am to gain by supposing more.” “Are you willing to answer the questions up to the point where you secured the body for dissection.” “No; the friends of Buckstone, if he has any, would murder me for what I did.” “It was in the cause of humane science. For aught we know, you saved Mr. Dunbar’s life by dissecting that head.” “I think I did; but a man’s friends would not consider this a good excuse for dissecting his brain.”