Wiseman what he thinks,' he said.
'Personally, I am afraid I cannot go with you.'

He went out, and Tressamer sat down in a state of intense agitation.
He dared not look round at the dock; but others did, and saw, to their
surprise, that the prisoner seemed indifferent to what had just
passed.

Eleanor did not want to get off on a law point. Without a real, full
acquittal her life, as she had told Tressamer, would be too wretched
to be worth preserving. And even an acquittal would not be enough
while the mystery of her friend's death was left unexplained. Only the
full clearing up of the whole story, only the exposure of the real
criminal, could bring peace back into her life.

She showed no disappointment, therefore, when the judge returned, with
a grave face, and took his seat, saying:

'The trial must proceed. My brother Wiseman inclines to your view, but
I am dead against it. I will, of course, reserve the point for the
Court for Crown Cases, if you desire.'

'If your lordship pleases,' said Tressamer.

This was exactly what he had wanted. He now had the chance of getting
an acquittal from the jury before him, and, if that failed, of
succeeding on the point reserved in the court above.

He rose and said:

'I have one witness to call as to the state of the prisoner's health.
I shall, therefore, say nothing now, but call my witness, and address
the jury after. Alfred Benjamin James.'

A respectably-dressed man stepped into the witness-box.

'You are a chemist, carrying on business at Porthstone. And you have
known the prisoner some time?'

'All her life, sir.'

'Now, have you advised her recently as to the state of her health?'

'I have.'

'Will you just tell us briefly what she has spoken to you about?'

'For some time before the day of the murder she had been unwell. She
came to me and asked me to give her something to make her sleep at
night. I persuaded her to do without anything, and to take a walk
before going to bed instead.'

'Yes, and what else?'

'The last night but one before the murder she came to me complaining
of nervous headache. I gave her something for it and advised her to go
for long walks, two or three miles or more, so as to tire herself out
before going to bed. She said she had mislaid her latchkey lately, but
would ask Miss Lewis to let her have another, as she thought Miss
Lewis had a spare one.'

This statement caused the jury to prick up their ears. Even they had
rea