It would have been impossible for Mrs. Rollins to have seen a man pick up from the deck the bag of diamonds. On a dark, moonless night at sea one literally cannot see his hand before his face.
The repose of darkness is deeper on the water than on the land. Victor Hugo.
[27. A Suave Gunman]
Taylor said the bandit wore a silver belt-buckle. This he could not have seen, for he stated: ‘As the robber passed through the door, he unbuttoned his coat and slipped the revolver in his back pocket.’
It would have been impossible for Taylor to have seen the man’s belt-buckle when his coat was buttoned.
As this statement was false, the rest of his account was disregarded by the Professor.
He draweth out the thread of his verbosity
Finer than the staple of his argument.
Shakespeare.