"You hear the question? Was the prisoner drunk or sober when you ran into the room and found her with the revolver in her hand?"
Victor shifted uneasily and appeared to hesitate.
"Well, she was very much excited," he said. "There's no doubt about that, M. the President Her eyes were like a crazy woman's and her face was red and she didn't seem to know what she was doing."
A stir and murmur from the benches told Raymond that the audience credited him with a point scored.
"Would you say she was drunk?" he insisted.
"Well, some would say she was and some would say she wasn't," replied the witness, falling back on his never-failing formula.
A titter ran through the court at this conservative answer, and the president frowned.
"What would you say?" demanded Raymond. Victor's confusion was complete.
"I—I wouldn't say!" he stammered. Raymond turned back to his desk with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Counsel for the defense, have you any more questions to ask the witness?" demanded the court.