“Then I must have been in one of the upper rooms,” said Patrick Ives gently.
“You are also aware that Mrs. Daniel Ives has told us that you didn’t bring her her fruit that night because you were not in the house?”
“Well,” said Pat Ives gently still, “this is probably the first time in her life that she was ever mistaken. I was in the house.”
“What caused you to change your mind as to attending the poker party, Mr. Ives?”
“Circumstances arose that made it impossible.” The inscrutability of Mr. Ives’s countenance suggested that he would be a formidable addition to any poker party.
“What circumstances?”
“Circumstances,” said Mr. Ives, “that I shouldn’t dream of discussing either here or elsewhere. I am able to assure you, however, that they were not even remotely connected with the murder.”
“What circumstances?” repeated Mr. Lambert, with passionate insistence.
“Now, what,” asked Mr. Farr with languid pathos, “I again inquire, is my distinguished adversary leaving for a mere prosecutor to do?”
“Mr. Lambert,” said Judge Carver austerely, “it strikes the Court that you are most certainly pressing the witness unduly in view of the fact that this is direct examination, and you are therefore bound to abide by his answer. The Court——”