The prisoner was silent.
“You have no further explanation to give on this subject?”
“No. All fellows who love horses will understand.”
The district attorney shrugged this answer away before he went on to say: “You have listened to Zadok Brown’s testimony. When he returned at three, he found the stable-door locked, and the key hanging up on its usual nail in the kitchen. How do you account for this?”
“There are two ways.”
“Mention them, if you please.”
“Zadok had been to a dance, and may not have been quite clear as to what he saw. Or, finding the stable door open, may have blamed himself for the fact and sought to cover up his fault with a lie.”
“Have you ever caught him in a lie?”
“No; but there’s always a first time.”
“You would impeach his testimony then?”