"Had you an opportunity of seeing what letters were in it?"
"I saw there was two or three when the postmistress took 'em out of the bag, but I couldn't say who they was addressed to or anythink of that."
"Thank you."
Sir Wigmore Wrinching here bounced up like a very irritable jack-in-the-box.
"Is this the first time you have mentioned this letter which you say you delivered to Captain Cathcart on the night of his murder?"
"My lords," cried Sir Impey. "I protest against this language. We have as yet had no proof that any murder was committed."
This was the first indication of the line of defense which Sir Impey proposed to take, and caused a little rustle of excitement.
"My lords," went on Counsel, replying to a question of the Lord High Steward, "I submit that so far there has been no attempt to prove murder, and that, until the prosecution have established the murder, such a word cannot properly be put into the mouth of a witness."
"Perhaps, Sir Wigmore, it would be better to use some other word."
"It makes no difference to our case, my lord; I bow to your lordships' decision. Heaven knows that I would not seek, even by the lightest or most trivial word, to hamper the defense on so serious a charge."