I said, flushing. 'At the time, I told her of
it.'

'Oh, _you_ told her. Well, that doesn't help us much. If what you are
swearing isn't true--remember, you are on your oath--what you told Miss
Petherick or Petheridge or Pennyfarthing, "at the time," can hardly be
regarded as corroborative evidence. Your word then and your word now are
just equally valuable--or equally worthless. The only person who knows
besides yourself is Higginson. Now, I ask you, _where_ is Higginson?
_Are_ you going to produce him?'

The wicked cunning of it struck me dumb. They were keeping him away, and
then using his absence to cast doubts on my veracity. 'Stop,' I cried,
taken aback, 'Higginson is well known to be a rogue, and he is keeping
away lest he may damage your side. I know nothing of Higginson.'

'Yes, I'm coming to that in good time. Don't be afraid that we're going
to pass over Higginson. You admit this man is a man of bad character.
Now, what do you know of him?'

I told the stories of the Count and of Dr. Fortescue-Langley.

The cross-eyed cross-examiner leant across towards me and leered. 'And
this is the man,' he exclaimed, with a triumphant air, 'whose sister you
pretended you had got to sign this precious document of yours?'

'Whom Mr. Ashurst got to sign it,' I answered, red-hot. 'It is not _my_
document.'

'And you have heard that she swears it is not her signature at all?'

'So they tell me. She is Higginson's sister. For all I know, she may be
prepared to swear, or to forswear, anything.'

'Don't cast doubt upon our witnesses without cause! Miss Higginson is an
eminently respectable woman. You gave this document to Mr. Ashurst, you
say. There your knowledge of it ends. A signature is placed on it which
is not his, as our experts testify. It purports to be witnessed by a
Swiss waiter, who is not forthcoming, and who is asserted to be dead, as
well as by a nurse who denies her signature. And the only other person
who knows of its existence before Mr. Tillington "discovers" it in his
uncle's desk is--the missing man Higginson. Is that, or is it not, the
truth of the matter?'

'I suppose so,' I said, baffled.

'Well, now, as to this man Higginson. He first appears upon the scene,
so far as you are concerned, on the day when you travelled from London
to Schlangenbad?'

'That is so,' I answered.

'And he nearly succeeded then in stealing Lady Georgina Fawley's
jewel-case?'

'He nearly took it, but I saved it.'