The doctor, who had every appearance of realizing the importance of his reply, did not hesitate. Evidently his mind was quite made up.
"Yes; more than ten minutes."
This was the shock I received from his testimony.
I remembered what the clock had revealed to me, but I did not move a muscle of my face. I was learning self-control under these repeated surprises.
"This is an unexpected statement," remarked the Coroner. "What reasons have you to urge in explanation of it?"
"Very simple and very well known ones; at least, among the profession. There was too little blood seen, for the wounds to have been inflicted before death or within a few minutes after it. Had the woman been living when they were made, or even had she been but a short time dead, the floor would have been deluged with the blood gushing from so many and such serious injuries. But the effusion was slight, so slight that I noticed it at once, and came to the conclusions mentioned before I found the mark of the stab that occasioned death."
"I see, I see! And was that the reason you called in two neighboring physicians to view the body before it was removed from the house?"
"Yes, sir; in so important a matter, I wished to have my judgment confirmed."
"And these physicians were——"
"Dr. Campbell, of 110 East —— Street, and Dr. Jacobs, of —— Lexington Avenue."