In this cross-examination, however, Paul was much handicapped. He dared not refer to the conversation which had taken place between himself and Ned Wilson during their quarrel, for fear of in any way bringing Mary's name into evidence. Up to the present, no one thought of connecting her with the matter in any definite way, and Paul was determined that, whatever took place, this must be avoided. Neither could he remove the difficulty of the knife without connecting it with his mother. As we have said, she was in his office on the morning of the day of his quarrel with Wilson, and was, as far as he could see, the only one who could have obtained possession of it. Still, he had made the most of his opportunities, and although on this murderous weapon the issues of the trial seemed largely to rest, he made more than one juryman feel that he was not the kind of man to use it in such a fashion and then leave it as evidence against himself.
During his cross-examination of the next witness, too, he further destroyed the statement that Wilson was a man without enemies.
John Scott was one of the two men who had witnessed the quarrel between himself and Wilson. Mr. Bakewell examined him very closely.
"You say," he said, "that you saw the prisoner and the murdered man together?"
"Yes."
"You heard angry words pass between them, but you could not tell what they were?"
"No."
"You saw the prisoner walk away, and as he was doing so, saw Mr. Edward Wilson strike him with a stick?"
"Yes; he knocked him down."
"Will you tell us what followed?"