CHAPTER VII. {continued.)

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 14, 18 December 1880, Page 126

CHAPTER VII. {continued.)

AFTER some little reflection, Sir Henry, not having any more preliminary questions to put to the accused, plunged into the heart _ of the matter with that abruptness which magistrates sometimes use, and which is calculated both to intimidate and confuse a prisoner. * " How did you pass the evening of the 19th October last ?" was the sudden qiiestion put by him to Brownpath. " How did you ?" was the reply. This very unexpected ansAver was of a sort to irritate a magistrate, however long-suffering he might be. Sir Henry rose, and, addressing the prisoner, said — "You forget, sir, the respect due to the Law, which I at this moment represent. I shall at once give orders for your — '' ' ( Sir, " interrupted Brownpath in a firm voice, "but with a tone of perfect politeness intended to calm the legitimate irritation of his judge, " you have misunderstood the meaning of my ■words, I assure you. I had not the slightest intention of wounding a magistrate, who, though severe in manner and language, I am "bound to say has never for an instant been wanting in courtesy and politeness. I merely wished, by means of the question I asked in reply to yours, to make you understand how difficult it was to answer you. Yoii ask me point-blank what I did with myself on the 19th October, and I reply — 'And you?' I am quite convinced that, with the very best intentions, no one, suddenly thrust into a corner, with an abrupt request to give an account of his actions, would be able to comply with it." "That depends very much on a man's mode of life, whether more or less eventful," said Sir Henry, reseating himself. "The question you allude to, though embarrassing to some, would not be so to all. But this conversation has given you time to reflect ; can you now reply ?" " I hope so, at all events. To the best of my "belief, I dined at Very's." " Are you known there ?" "Perfectly, for several years past. ' "At what hour do you think you left ?" "About eight o'clock, I should say." "Be as precise as possible, I beg. Your, replies are of great importance, seeing that the crime under consideration must have taken place between eight and nine o'clock," added the magistrate, whose tactics for the moment were to appear outspoken. "If I had committed the crime," replied Brownpath, " I should know at what hour I had committed it, and then I should have told you that I had remained at Very's xip to nine o'clock, and so have established an alibi." " But your statement might have been very easily controverted." "With very great difficulty, I imagine. The frequenters at Very's dine late ; it is by no means unusual to see people at the dinner-table towards nine o'clock, and out of half-a-dozen waiters at least half would in all good faith maintain that I was one of the last to leave. If, therefore, I say that I left the caf£ about eight o'clock, I show my desire to approach as nearly as possible to the truth." " Beit so. You left Very's at eight o'clock ; what did you do then ?" " \ccording to my custom, I must have strolled for an hour along Regent-street." "Whom did you see there ? Did you stop to speak to any of your friends ?" Brownpath reflected for a moment in the most natural manner, and then replied — " No ;I am under the impression that I walked by myself and did not meet anybody." " That sounds strange," remarked the magistrate. "The weather was extremely fine on the 19th October, and there must have been, at nine o'clock in the evening, plenty of your acquaintances in Regent-street." "Possibly so ; but fortune ordained that I should not see them. Besides, permit me to observe, that at nine o'clock in the evening Regent-street is less frequented than at any other moment ; people by that time have gone to the theatre, or their club, or some friend's house." " After your hour's walk, where did you go, may I ask ?" " I went home for a moment." "According to you, that was at nine o'clock?" "About nine." "Your gardener, who has been examined since your arrest, asserts that he did not see you until towards ten o'clock." "Nine, half -past, or ten, would be pretty much the same to a porter, who is asleep half his time." "And why did you go home, contrary to your usual habit, at that hour on that particular evening ?" " For a very simple reason, I had on a light overcoat, and, as the evening had become chilly, I went to get a heaAier one." " Did you not put aside your light overcoat "because it had on it certain stains Avhich might compromise you ?" "Stains!" said BroAvnpath, Avith great unconcern. ' ' What stains ?" " Tavo or three stains of blood. Hoav do you account for them ?" "I do not account for them. lam positive they do not exist, replied Brownpath, firmly. Sir Henry had hoped that the prisoner, if he were guilty, Avould betray himself in face of this attack, and that he woiild attempt to give some sort of explanation with regard to these blood stains, accounting for them by his nose having been bleeding, or his hand cut, as murderers generally do under similar circumstances. Any such explanation would have damaged BroAvnpath, and possibly have implicated him, seeing that, in spite of every effort, not a single trace of blood, such as Sir Henry hinted at, could be discovered on the overcoat in question. So he had to put up Avith the failure of this new stratagem, either from the fact that Brownpath

was innocent, as lie maintained lie was, or by reason of the subtlety and coolness which he possessed in no small degree. But, fearing that his ruse might he seen through, Sir Henry was unwilling to abandon with too great haste the line of questioning he kad adopted, so he told Brownpath that the coat would be submitted to the analysis of able chemists. This had no effect, either, on the prisoner, who simply turned towards the magistrate, as an intimation that he awaited the further progress of the examination. Sir Henry rose and paced to and fro, whilst Brownpath, who had also risen, leaned with his back against the mantel-piece, attentively studying the always impassible registrar. Suddenly Sir Henry, remembering the presence of Mrs. Hardcastle, was anxious to know lioav she fared, and approached thejjscreen. A look, unseen by all, sufficed to satisfy his curiosity. Eleanor, motionless as a statue, awaited in silence the conclusion of the examination. Her death-like pallor struck the magistrate, and recalled him to gravity. Sir Henry returned to his place at the desk, and, entering on a new train of thought, said — "You knew Maurice Hardcastle ?" "I did." "For how long?" ' ' About three years. " "Under what circumstances did you know him ?" " One of our mutual friends, James Robson, to Avhom I one day expressed my wish to speculate on the 'Change, suggested an introduction to Mr. Hardcastle. The latter gave me a very kind reception, and consented to execute my commissions." "Without asking for any guarantee or security ?" "My word was sufficient, more especially as my commissions were on a very small scale, my differences on settling-day not exceeding one hundred pounds. "Such was not always the case, for it was not long before you lost a considerable sum." "That is so. A political rumour which came to my ears induced me one day to depart from my customary caution. I sent Mr. Hardcastle, during business hours, an order which, unfortunately for me, he executed immediately. The rumour was false, and all my calculations were upset." "How much did you lose over the transaction ?" "Two hundred pounds." "My information says £5000. " Excuse me ; the first transaction which I have had the honour of explaining to you cost me two thousand pounds. Subsequently I engaged in a second, and then a third, to recoup my loss, instead of which I increased my liabilities to the amount you have named." "And Mr. Hardcastle made no attempt to stay this downward course, disastrous alike for you and himself, since the broker whom he employed would hold him responsible for your losses'?" " Hardcastle had seen me discharge without delay certain other differences, not indeed equal in amount to these last, but still considerable, and he had no reason to doubt my solvency." "And what was the result of all these losses?" "My account was handed to me in detail, and I was compelled to confess that I needed time to settle it." "What was the reply of Mr. Hardcastle to that?" " I am bound to say that he took it in bad part." " In reality, a lamentable scene took place on the 'Change between you and your creditor?" " Yes sir." "Mr. Trail," said the magistrate to his clerk, " have the goodness to read over to the accused the report of the superintendent of police." [To be continued.']