"Not so easy, my friend," she said to herself, and just as she said it
she heard his voice saying coolly, "Look at the jury, please, not at
me."

Her eyes, as she turned them in the desired direction, had a flash in
them.

"Miss Thorne, at what hour did you leave Miss Bellington's?"

"I have no way of fixing it precisely--about 2:35."

"You are quite sure it was not later?"

"I cannot be sure within four or five minutes."

"What is the distance from Miss Bellington's to the scene of the
accident?"

"About fifteen miles, I should think."

"Your calculation is that as the accident took place at 3:12 and you
left at twenty-five minutes to three you drove fifteen miles in
thirty-seven minutes--that is to say, at the rate of twenty-four miles
an hour. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"And you never ran faster than thirty-five miles an hour?"

"Never."

"Don't look at me. Look at the jury, please."

She found it hard to be dovelike under this repeated admonition. "As
if," she thought, "I couldn't keep my eyes off him, whereas, of course,
it's human nature to look at the person who's speaking to you."

"You say," he went on, "that you had expected to stay longer at Miss
Bellington's than you actually did."

"Yes."

"And what made you change your plans?"

"I found she had an engagement."

"Did she mention it on your arrival?"

"No."

"When did she mention it?"

"After luncheon."

"Was she called to the telephone during your visit?"

"No."

"Are you sure of that?"

There was a pause. The gates of Lydia's memory had suddenly opened. The
telephone call, which had made no impression at the time because she had
not taken in that it was from O'Bannon, suddenly came back to her. She
tried hastily to see its bearing on her case, but he gave her no time.

"Answer my question, please. Will you swear there was no telephone call
to your knowledge?"

"No, I cannot."

"In fact there was a telephone call?"

"Yes."

"It was during that telephone call that the engagement was made?"

"I cannot say--I do not know."

"How long did you stay after that telephone?"

"I left at once."

"You put on your hat?"

"Yes."

"And your veil?"

"Yes."

"And a coat?"

"Yes."

It was impossible to be dovelike under this interrogation. The jury were
allowing themselves to smile.

"Had your car been left standing at the door?"

"No." She felt that her jaw was beginning to set, and she kept her foot
quiet only