“M’lord, the witness said ‘crushed,’” objected Mr
Windgate. “I must really object—”
“Well, ‘crushed’ then,” went on Mr Benham suavely. “My learned friend shall have no reason to complain of undue pressure on our part. Well, and what did you think then, Mr Ingelow?”
“I thought there was no doubt about his having fallen into the chasm.”
“Fallen in?”
“Yes.”
“You had no suspicion then of foul play?”
“Not the slightest. I never heard that anyone had.”
“Oh, you never heard that anyone had!” said Mr Benham quickly, catching up the statement in just the way to embarrass and disconcert a nervous witness. And Eustace, remembering sundry cautions he had received in private about volunteering evidence, felt disconcerted accordingly.
His narrative of the descent of Smugglers’ Ladder evoked considerable applause, for the ill-omened chasm was well known by reputation. He stated how he had found nothing on reaching the bottom.