"No, sir; nothing at all," answered Egerton, fearlessly.
"You did not interfere with him in any way?"
Egerton hesitated. "No, sir, I didn't. I didn't even speak to him. It wasn't likely after what he said of me to you."
"That will do," said Doctor Palmer, in a strange tone. "You may sit down. Warburton!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Did you interfere with Campbell in any way last night?"
"No, sir, not at all," answered Warburton.
"Sit down!" again said the Doctor.
Two deliberate liars out of sixteen is a large proportion, and it is not to be supposed that there would be more such. The rest would either maintain a frightened silence or tell the truth. Fortunately, the boy next questioned was one of the latter class. And his fearless answer gave courage to the rest.
"Yes, sir, I did. I pulled his bed out into the room and upset it," answered Williams, when the same question was put to him. And before the Doctor could say a word, the remaining three implicated with Egerton, Warburton, and Williams, confessed their share in the matter. The rest denied, with truth, having done anything to Campbell, and were told to sit down.