Witness.--"I never said nobody went down. Perhaps they might. I don't recollect."
Counsel.--"Your memory seems to halt very strangely. Will you swear that one of the men did not go down and look over the hedge into the haw-haw to see if there was anybody there?"
Witness.--"I believe one of them did; but I am sure I do not recollect who it was."
Counsel.--"Oh! Now, Sir, for another part of the subject; and be so good as to be a little sincere; for recollect that you are sworn to tell 'the whole truth,' as well as 'the truth.' You have said that Mr. Tracy ordered the gate near the head-gardener's cottage to be locked. Pray, did he do this of his own mere motive, or was it suggested to him?"
Witness.--"It was suggested to him by Mr. Acton, that is to say, Mr. Winslow, who said, that it would be better to lock that gate, and then the men, having to go another way to their work, would not put out any marks that might be upon the ground; and he gave up to Mr. Tracy his own key."
Counsel.--"Well, that was not very like a guilty man. Now tell me, was the ground hard or soft at that time?"
"Soft, Sir," answered the butler; "for the frost had not long broke up."
"Then the marks of all the feet which went about the place would be very distinct?" said the counsel.
Witness.--"Why, Sir, there were such a number of them, that they must have cut one another up a good deal."
Counsel.--"Pray, were you with the constable on the following morning, when he went to trace and measure the steps?"