"Where were you, Mrs. Halliday, when he gave it to you?"
"We were at the keeper's cottage. You see, Sir Arther had promised to show me a litter of puppies just as soon as he'd been to the bank in Ralton. I simply adore puppies."
"At what time was this, Mrs. Halliday?"
"Well, I don't think-oh yes, I do! It was eleven o'clock, well, a minute or two later, probably, because he had to put some notes, or something, into his safe first."
Harding looked up. "Was Sir Arthur wearing gloves Mrs. Halliday?"
"Gloves? No, of course not. Why?"
"I merely wanted to know. You were saying that you were in the kennels when the cheque was given you. Was there a pen and ink for him to write with there?"
"Oh, he had his fount -" She broke off, and added trifle shrilly: "He didn't write the cheque there, Inspector. He just pulled it out of his pocket and sort of pressed it into my hand. He'd written it before, of course."
"Ah, I see!" said Harding. "And — quite honestly, Mrs. Halliday — you hadn't given him any reason to think that you would accept it?"
"Oh no, I was simply astonished at him!" averred Camilla.