“I refuse to answer such an absurd question! In the first place, I was out on the lawn, when the light went out.”
“So you say. But who corroborates that?”
“I was also out there when the light flashed on again.”
“Yes, that may be true, but your first statement is not. You left Mrs. Stannard in the Billiard Room, you went into the studio—whether in the interim you had been out on the lawn or not, doesn’t matter—you stabbed Eric Stannard, you turned off the light, and returning through the Billiard Room, you went back to that bench, and awaited developments.”
“You must be insane!”
“Oh, no, I’m not insane. Neither were you. It was a clever dodge. You didn’t know the women would be implicated, but when they were, however you might regret that, you couldn’t confess your own guilt——”
“Why couldn’t I?”
“Because,” Bobsy looked squarely at him, “because you love Mrs. Stannard——”
“Stop! Don’t you dare to speak her name! You mischief-maker! You absolute and unqualified——”
“Stop, yourself, Mr. Courtenay! These heroics harm your case—they don’t help it.”