lso
very carefully. Informs him no need to tell the court on what business
he went down to Sabre's house on the fatal Saturday. 'Sufficient,' says
Humpo, 'that it was legal business of a deeply grave nature implicating
the deceased and the man Sabre?' Witness agrees. Court nearly chokes
itself whispering conjectures. 'And you saw the deceased but not the man
Sabre?' Witness agrees again. Goes on, led by Humpo, to state that he
served certain papers on the deceased. That she looked noticeably
unhappy, frightened, lonely, deserted, when she opened the door to him.
Had great difficulty in obtaining from her the whereabouts of the man
Sabre. At first refused to tell. No, didn't actually say she had been
told not to tell; but, yes, certainly gave that impression. Extracted
from her at last that he was probably at Brighton. Couldn't get anything
more definite out of her.

"'Look here--', cries Sabre. 'Look here--look here, she didn't know!'

"'I am not surprised,' says Humpo, 'I am not at all surprised.' Court
laughs cynically. 'You have interrupted us a great deal,' says Humpo.
'It is time we saw if you will be equally informative in the witness
box.'

"Some one bawls, 'Next witness. Mark Sabre.'

"Court draws an enormous breath and gets itself ready for butchery to
make a Tidborough holiday."

CHAPTER VI

I

Hapgood went on:

"I'm telling you, old man, that after the coroner had done with him, and
after this Humpo, with his viprous forefinger, and his retriever tongue,
and his perspiration streaming down his face, and Twyning tugging him
down by the coat and putting him on the trail afresh--after the coroner,
and after this Humpo like that, had been on to him for a bit, Sabre
absolutely couldn't speak. He was like he had a constriction in his
throat. There was nothing he could say but begin all his sentences with,
'Look here--Look here--'; and nine times out of ten incapable of
anything to follow it up with.

"He was distraught. He was speechless. He was clean crazed.

"At the very beginning, with the coroner, he wouldn't use the word 'the
deceased.' Insisted on keeping calling her Effie. Coroner kept pulling
him up over it, and about the twentieth time pulled him up hard.

"Poor chap threw out his arms like he was throwing the word away and
then hammered on the ledge. 'I _won't_ say deceased. I _won't_ call her
the deceased. Vile word. Horrible word. Obscene, beastly, hateful word.
I won't call her it.