"I can see no purpose in keeping it out any longer, my lord," Mr. M'Arthur answered, while Mr. Menzies said that any mischief which it might do had been done already.
The President seemed to approve. "I think you are right," he said. "Usher, give me the letter."
The letter was handed up again to the bench, and, adjusting his pince-nez, the judge proceeded to read it.
"Listen, gentlemen," he said, "and I will read it to you. The importance of this letter, gentlemen, which, as you have seen, has so terribly upset this poor lady, is that it was clearly written before 10.30 on the morning of the 23rd March, and was in the hands of Mr. Admaston long before Mrs. Admaston and her friends reached Folkestone—let alone Boulogne. The letter is dated March 23rd, and it is unsigned. Now, gentlemen, an anonymous letter is open to grave suspicion, but in the peculiar circumstances of this case the fact of its being anonymous makes no difference. If any one, other than the respondent and co-respondent, knew that they were going to stay in Paris on the night of the 23rd, and knew that before they started, it is difficult to exaggerate the importance of the fact. I will now read the letter:—
"'Mrs. Admaston will be staying at Paris to-night alone with Mr. Collingwood. They have arranged to get separated from Lord Ellerdine and Lady Attwill at Boulogne and to stay the night together at the Hôtel des Tuileries. If Mr. Admaston does not believe this, let him telephone the hotel to-night.'
Mr. Carteret," the judge concluded, "were any other letters in this strange handwriting received by Miss Admaston?"
"One other, my lord, three days ago," said Mr. Carteret.
"I should like to see it," said the President.
The second letter was handed up to him, and he read it through carefully.
"It is all very mysterious," he said, shaking his head. "I think, gentlemen, that you had better hear it. It is as follows:—