"Nevertheless, it is a necessary one," broke in Mr. Wedron, crisply. "It is presumable that you can have no personal enmity against Doctor Heath, sir; therefore you can have no reason for opposing measures instigated by justice. The examination will be a brief one."
The resolute tone of his voice, no less than his words, brought Jasper Lamotte to his senses.
"Certainly, I have no wish to oppose the ends of justice," he said, in a tone which, in spite of himself, was most ungracious. "Such an investigation is naturally distasteful to me. Nevertheless, you may proceed, gentlemen, but I should not like the ladies of my household to discover what is going on. They are sufficiently nervous already. If you will excuse me for a moment, I will go up and request them to remain in their rooms for the present. After that, you are at liberty to proceed."
They all seat themselves gravely, and Mr. Lamotte, taking this as a quiet acquiescence, goes out, and softly but swiftly up the broad stairs; not to the rooms occupied by the ladies, however, but straight on to Frank's room, where that young man has remained in solitude, ever since his unusually early breakfast hour.
"Frank," he says, entering quietly and closing the door with great care. "Frank, we have a delegation of doctors below stairs."
"A delegation of doctors?" Frank repeats, parrot-like.
"Precisely; they want to examine the body."
Frank comes slowly to his feet.
"To examine the body!" he repeats again. "In Heaven's name, why?"
"To ascertain, by examining the wounds on the body, if the knife found with it, is the knife that killed."