THE NEW WITNESS
The voice of the Coroner, bland, suave, deprecating, the silence.
He was the witness.
"I am sure, Mr. Aylmore," he said, "there is no wish to trouble you with questions. But we are here to at the truth of this of John Marbury's death, and as you are the only we have had who him personally—"
Aylmore to the Coroner.
"I have every wish to respect your authority, sir!" he exclaimed. "And I have told you all that I know of Marbury and of what when I met him the other evening. But I being questioned on my private of twenty years ago—I very much it! Any question that is I will answer, but I will not answer questions that to me to the scope of this enquiry."
The Treasury Counsel rose again. His manner had of the quietest, and Spargo again attentive.
"Perhaps I can put a question or two to Mr. Aylmore which will not him offence," he drily. He once more to the witness, him as if with interest. "Can you tell us of any person now who Marbury in London at the time under discussion—twenty to twenty-two or three years ago?" he asked.
Aylmore his angrily.
"No, I can't,'' he replied.
"And yet you and he must have had at that time who you both!"
"Possibly—at that time. But when I returned to England my and my life in different to those of that time. I don't know of who Marbury then—anybody."
The Counsel to a who sat him, to him; Spargo saw the make a motion of his the door of the court. The Counsel looked again at the witness.
"One more question. You told the a little time since that you with Marbury on the his death at the end of Waterloo Bridge—at, I think you said, a to twelve."
"About that time."
"And at that place?"
"Yes."
"That is all I want to ask you, Mr. Aylmore—just now," said the Counsel. He to the Coroner. "I am going to ask you, sir, at this point to call a who has to the police this morning. That is of a very nature, and I think that this is the stage at which it ought to be to you and the jury. If you would be pleased to direct that David Lyell be called—"
Spargo to the door, having the who had sat the Treasury Counsel make his way there. There came into view, by the clerk, a smart-looking, alert, self-confident man, a Scotsman, who, on the name of David Lyell being called, and into the place which the of Parliament just vacated. He took the oath—Scotch fashion—with the same and easily to the Treasury Counsel. And Spargo, round, saw that the was with anticipation, and that its was that the new was going to tell something which related to the just by Aylmore.
"Your name is David Lyell?"
"That is my name, sir."
"And you at 23, Cumbrae Side, Kilmarnock, Scotland?"
"I do."
"What are you, Mr. Lyell?"
"Traveller, sir, for the of Messrs. Stevenson, Robertson & Soutar, distillers, of Kilmarnock."
"Your take you, I think, over to Paris occasionally?"
"They do—once every six I go to Paris."
"On the of June 21st last were you in London on your way to
Paris?"
"I was."
"I you at De Keyser's Hotel, at the Blackfriars end of the Embankment?"
"I did—it's for the trains."
"About half-past eleven, or a little later, that evening, did you go along the Embankment, on the Temple Gardens side, for a walk?"
"I did, sir. I'm a sleeper, and it's a of mine to take a walk of an hour or so last thing I go to bed."
"How did you walk?"
"As as Waterloo Bridge."
"Always on the Temple side?"
"Just so, sir—straight along on that side."
"Very good. When you got close to Waterloo Bridge, did you meet you knew?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Aylmore, the Member of Parliament."
Spargo not avoid a at the two sisters. The elder's was averted; the was at the steadily. And Breton was his on the of his hat.
"Mr. Aylmore, the Member of Parliament," the Counsel's suave, clear tones. "Oh! And how did you come to Mr. Aylmore, Member of Parliament?"
"Well, sir, in this way. At home, I'm the of our Liberal Ward Club, and last year we had a demonstration, and it to me to with the speakers. I got Mr. Aylmore to come and speak, and naturally I met him times, in London and in Scotland."
"So that you him well?"
"Oh yes, sir."
"Do you see him now, Mr. Lyell?"
Lyell and in the box.
"Why, of course!" he answered. "There is Mr. Aylmore."
"There is Mr. Aylmore. Very good. Now we go on. You met Mr. Aylmore close to Waterloo Bridge? How close?"
"Well, sir, to be exact, Mr. Aylmore came the steps from the on to the Embankment."
"Alone?"
"No."
"Who was with him?"
"A man, sir."
"Did you know the man?"
"No. But who he was with. I took a good look at him. I haven't his face."
"You haven't his face. Mr. Lyell—has anything that to you this last day or two?"
"Yes, sir, indeed!"
"What?"
"The picture of the man they say was murdered—John Marbury."
"You're sure of that?"
"I'm as certain, sir, as that my name's what it is."
"It is your that Mr. Aylmore, when you met him, was by the man who, according to the photographs, was John Marbury?"
"It is, sir!"
"Very well. Now, having Mr. Aylmore and his companion, what did you do?"
"Oh, I just and walked after them."
"You walked after them? They were going eastward, then?"
"They were walking by the way I'd come."
"You them eastward?"
"I did—I was going to the hotel, you see."
"What were they doing?"
"Talking earnestly, sir."
"How did you them?"
"I them until they came to the Embankment of Middle
Temple Lane, sir."
"And then?"
"Why, sir, they in there, and I on to De Keyser's, and to my bed."
There was a in at that moment than at any other period of the long day, and it still when the quiet, voice put the next question.
"You on your that you saw Mr. Aylmore take his into the Temple by the Embankment entrance of Middle Temple Lane on the occasion in question?"
"I do! I no other, sir."
"Can you tell us, as near as possible, what time that would be?"
"Yes. It was, to a minute or so, about five minutes past twelve."
The Treasury Counsel to the Coroner, and the Coroner, after a with the of the jury, looked at the witness.
"You have only just this to the police, I understand?" he said.
"Yes, sir. I have been in Paris, and in Amiens, and I only returned by this morning's boat. As soon as I had read all the news in the papers—the English papers—and the man's I to tell the police what I knew, and I to New Scotland Yard as soon as I got to London this morning."
Nobody else wanted to ask Mr. David Lyell any questions, and he down. And Mr. Aylmore came again, the Coroner's attention.
"May I be allowed to make an explanation, sir?" he began. "I—"
But the Treasury Counsel was on his feet, this time and implacable. "I would point out, sir, that you have had Mr. Aylmore in the box, and that he was not then at all to give explanations, or to answer questions," he said. "And you allow him to make any now, I ask you to another I wish to at this stage. That is——"
Mr. Aylmore almost to the Coroner.
"After the of the last witness, I think I have a right to be at once!" he said with emphasis. "As at present, it looks as if I had trifled, sir, with you and the jury, if I am allowed to make an explanation—"
"I must ask that Mr. Aylmore is allowed to make any explanation, the I have to is heard," said the Treasury Counsel sternly. "There are reasons."
"I am you must wait a little, Mr. Aylmore, if you wish to give an explanation," said the Coroner. He to the Counsel. "Who is this other witness?" he asked.
Aylmore back. And Spargo noticed that the of his two was at him with an expression. There was no of her father in her face; she was anxious. She, too, slowly to the next witness. This man was the of the Embankment of Middle Temple Lane. The Treasury Counsel put a question to him at once.
"You see that gentleman," he said, pointing to Aylmore. "Do you know him as an of the Temple?"
The man at Aylmore, confused.
"Why, certainly, sir!" he answered. "Quite well, sir."
"Very good. And now—what name do you know him by?"
The man more bewildered.
"Name, sir. Why, Mr. Anderson, sir!" he replied. "Mr. Anderson!"
