"You won't give me an answer?"
"I won't!"
"Do you base your refusal on professional privilege, doctor?"
"No! Not at all. Mrs. Mallett's business was of an absolutely private nature. It had nothing whatever to do with the subject of this inquiry—I tell you that on my honour, on my oath. Nothing whatever!"
"You mean—directly?"
Meeking threw a good deal of significance into this question, which he put slowly, and with a peculiarly meaning glance at his witness. But Wellesley either did not see or affected not to see any significance, and his answer came promptly:
"I mean precisely what I say—as I always do."
Meeking leaned across the table, eyeing Wellesley still more closely.
"Do you think, knowing all that you do now, that it had anything to do with it indirectly? Indirectly!"
Self-controlled though he was, Wellesley could not repress a start of surprise at this question. It was obviously unexpected—and it seemed to those who, like Brent and Tansley, were watching him narrowly, that he was considerably taken aback by it. He hesitated.