'After ten long years and over?'
'Women can remember longer back than that, sir.'
'No doubt, no doubt.'
Mrs Paterson was cross-questioned at some length by John Crawford's counsel, but without causing her to deviate in the slightest from any portion of her strange story.
As to the actual stealing of the infant, it was simplicity itself. She had left her sleeping in a cot and in a room which opened by French windows to a shrubbery. When she returned about an hour later she found the room locked from the inside, and when she raised the alarm and the door was forced the child was gone.
An important witness was an old doctor who had attended the infant, and had examined Lotty as well. He swore to the identity of these strange birth-marks, and was then allowed to retire, being feeble.
That which is here being described so briefly took a very long time to go into, and days passed before the case was decided, even so far.
'We now come to the raison d'être,' the counsel was understood to say; 'but before going further into the case I shall pause here to give John Crawford a chance of withdrawing his claim in favour of my client, and for his own safety's sake.'
Lotty's counsel placed ominous emphasis on the last few words.
There was then an adjournment for luncheon that day; and after the court had reassembled, Crawford's counsel intimated that after what had been said in so pointed and even threatening manner he had advised that the case be continued.