"At bedtime, sir. He came with other arrivals on the five o'clock train; but I was away all the afternoon and did not see him till I went into the bar-room in the evening."
"Well, and what passed between you then?"
"Not much, sir. I asked if he was going to stay with us, and when he said 'Yes,' I inquired if he had registered his name. He replied 'No.' At which I pointed to the book, and he wrote his name down and then went up-stairs with me to his room."
"And is that all? Did you say nothing beyond what you have mentioned? ask him no questions or make no allusions to the murder?"
"Well, sir, I did make some attempt that way, for I was curious to know what took him to the Widow Clemmens' house, but he snubbed me so quickly, I concluded to hold my tongue and not trouble myself any further about the matter."
"And do you mean to say you haven't told any one that an unknown man had been at your house on the morning of the murder inquiring after the widow?"
"Yes, sir. I am a poor man, and believe in keeping out of all sort of messes. Policy demands that much of me, gentlemen."
The look he received from the coroner may have convinced him that policy can be carried too far.
"And now," said Dr. Tredwell, "what sort of a man is this Clement Smith?"
"He is a gentleman, sir, and not at all the sort of person with whom you would be likely to connect any unpleasant suspicion."