By the time this letter was finished numerous old gentlemen, with wigs or without, were observed to be polishing their glasses. Mr. Wimp's examination was resumed.
"After making these discoveries what did you do?"
"I made inquiries about Miss Dymond, and found Mr. Constant had visited her once or twice in the evening. I imagined there would be some traces of a pecuniary connection. I was allowed by the family to inspect Mr. Constant's check-book, and found a paid check made out for £25 in the name of Miss Dymond. By inquiry at the Bank, I found it had been cashed on November 12th of last year. I then applied for a warrant against the prisoner."
Cross-examined: "Do you suggest that the prisoner opened Mr. Constant's bedroom with the key you found?"
"Certainly."
Brown-Harland, Q. C. (sarcastically): "And locked the door from within with it on leaving?"
"Certainly."
"Will you have the goodness to explain how the trick was done?"
"It wasn't done. (Laughter.) The prisoner probably locked the door from the outside. Those who broke it open naturally imagined it had been locked from the inside when they found the key inside. The key would, on this theory, be on the floor as the outside locking could not have been effected if it had been in the lock. The first persons to enter the room would naturally believe it had been thrown down in the bursting of the door. Or it might have been left sticking very loosely inside the lock so as not to interfere with the turning of the outside key in which case it would also probably have been thrown to the ground."
"Indeed. Very ingenious. And can you also explain how the prisoner could have bolted the door within from the outside?"