Poole thought over this point for a moment; it seemed unanswerable.
“I see, sir,” he said. “There really were, then, a lot of witnesses of the occurrence?”
“Any number. A small crowd collected round us at once.”
“You didn’t take any of their names, I suppose?”
“I didn’t; it never occurred to me to—the whole thing was a pure accident and at the time I thought it unimportant. If Sir Garth had fallen dead at once, it might have been different; but, as you know, he did not do so till after we had crossed the Mall. By that time they had probably all dispersed, and in any case I am afraid I was so upset that I didn’t think of it—only of getting him home as quickly as possible.”
“I quite understand, sir,” said Poole. “Now about the actual death. You said that you had crossed the Mall.”
“Yes, we crossed the Mall all right and were walking towards the Guards Memorial when he suddenly staggered, made a sort of choking, gasping sound and sank to the ground. He nearly pulled me down with him. I had my arm linked through his, as I told you. I believe he died almost at once, though I did not realize it at the time.”
“It must have been a great shock for you, sir. I suppose there was no further accident just before the fall?”
“Oh no, nothing. Evidently it was the result of the shock he received on the steps. After all, it was only a hundred yards or so away.”
“And the man concerned, of course, had disappeared by then?”