Thomas arose at once. "I object to that question," he said, his lips twitching and his face livid from disappointment and fear of what was coming next.
"I should think you would!" Marvin said, laughing.
The objection sustained, he went at his witness again. "You testified that Mr. Jones was a drunkard and that you had never seen him sober?"
"I never have," emphasized Hammond, insolently.
Going to the table, Marvin took Bill by the arm, assisted him to his feet and guided him into the middle of the court-room until he stood before the witness-stand. Then he asked of Hammond, motioning with his head toward Bill, "Is he drunk now?"
Bill stood quietly, a quizzical smile half closing his eyes, half opening his mouth.
Hammond, infuriated, swallowed in order to control himself, and then blurted with a disgusted shrug of his shoulders, "I don't know."
Having fulfilled Marvin's intention, Bill took his seat again and the cross-examination was resumed.
"If you don't know whether he is drunk or not now, how did you know the other time when you saw him?"
Hammond gazed fiercely into space, replying, finally, "Oh, it was plain enough then!"