“Yes, I am.”
“Had you a revolver on you when you were out on the downs on Tuesday morning?”
“Yes, I had!”
The barrister looked round at the jury. Then he suddenly sat down, and, for the second time that morning, helped himself to a pinch of snuff. He turned from his snuff-box to the Coroner. But the Coroner was nodding at Walkinshaw, who presently rose and faced his client.
“You have just admitted, Mr. Harborough, that you wrote the letter which has been read. Did you write it under great provocation?”
“Under greatest provocation. I firmly believed that Guy Markenmore had prejudiced Miss Leighton against me, in a most despicable fashion.”
“Do you believe that now?”
“I am not at all sure—one way or the other. I began to be doubtful on the point some years ago.”
“Is that why you said just now that if you had met Guy Markenmore five years after writing that letter you would certainly not have carried out your hasty threat?”
“Precisely!”