"Harold Scott Mainwaring!"
There was a sudden hush throughout the court-room, broken an instant later by a low murmur of mingled astonishment, incredulity, and wonder as the private secretary rose and walked towards the witness stand. A few comments reached his ears, but he seemed unconscious of them, and, having taken his place, turned towards the audience a face cold and impassive, inscrutable to his enemies, who could read nothing of the conflicting emotions beneath that calm, immobile surface.
He saw the crowd of upturned faces—incredulous, wondering, curious; he caught the mocking smile of Mrs. LaGrange and Ralph Mainwaring's dark, sinister sneer; but he took little note of these. Like an arrow speeding to the mark, his glance sought the face of young Hugh Mainwaring. Their eyes met, and in that brief moment there was recalled to each a starlit night on one of the balconies at Fair Oaks, and the parting words of young Mainwaring to the secretary, "I'm your friend, Scott, and whatever happens, I'll stand by you."
With swift intuition each read the other's thought, and, although there was no outward sign, Harold Mainwaring knew from that instant that there would be no retraction of that pledge.
The slight ripple of excitement died away while the witness was sworn, and the crowd listened with interest even to the preliminary interrogatories.
"Where were you born?" asked the attorney.
"In Melbourne, Australia," was the reply, while deep silence awaited Mr. Sutherland's next question.
"Mr. Mainwaring, I believe you are familiar with the will just read, are you not?"
"I am."
"Please state when, and under what conditions, you gained your knowledge of this will."