dinner-table, talking."

"I see. Did you hear any of the conversation?"

"No, I didn't. I carried two decanters of the port into the dining-room
for Mr. Mallett, and got out port glasses from the sideboard, and after
that I never went into the room again."

"Until what hour did Mr. Mallett's guests remain with him?"

"Well, Alderman Crood and Mr. Krevin Crood left at about a quarter to
eleven. They went away together. Mr. Coppinger stopped till about
half-past eleven."

Meeking paused at this point, put his hand underneath the papers which
lay in front of him and produced a cardboard box. From this, after
slowly undoing various wrappings, he took the fragment of stained and
charred handkerchief which had been found in the Mayor's Parlour, and
passed it across to the witness.

"Take that in your hand and look at it carefully," he said. "Now, do you
recognize that as part of the handkerchief to which I have been
referring?"

"It's the same sort of stuff," replied Louisa. "I should say it was part
of that handkerchief. It's just like it."

"Same material?--an unusual material?"

"I think it is the same handkerchief. It's an unusually broad hem--I
noticed that at the time."

"To the best of your belief is that the handkerchief you've been talking
about?"

"Yes," declared Louisa Speck, this time without hesitation. "It is!"

Meeking sat down and glanced at Simon Crood's solicitor. Stedman
accepted the challenge and, rising, threw some scornful meaning into his
first question to the witness.

"Who got you to tell all this tale?" he asked satirically. "Who got at
you?"

Louisa Speck bridled.

"Nobody got at me!" she retorted. "What do you mean by such a question?"

"You don't mean to tell their Worships that you haven't been induced to
come forward and tell all this?" suggested Stedman incredulously. "Come,
now! Who helped you to refresh your memory, and to put all this
together?"

"Nobody helped me," replied Louisa Speck, with rising indignation. "Do
you think I'm not capable of doing things on my own? I can use my eyes
and ears as well as you can--and perhaps better!"

"Answer my question!" said Stedman, as a laugh rose against him. "Who
got you to go to the police?"

"Nobody got me to go to the police! I went to the police on my own
account. I read the newspaper about what took place at the inquest--the
last inquest, I mean--and as soon as I heard about the handkerchief, I
knew very well that that