The inquest had been adjourned for three days, to give time for new facts to be elicited.
'Your friend had no enemies, you say?'
'Not one,' answered Clissold. 'He was one of those men who never make an enemy. He hadn't the strength of mind to refuse a favour to the veriest blackguard. It was my knowledge of his character that made me anxious about this Elgood's acquaintance. I saw that he was fascinated by the girl, and feared he might be lured into some false position. That was the sole cause of our dispute the other night.'
'Why did you leave him?'
'Because I saw that my interference irritated him, and was likely to arouse a lurking obstinacy which I knew to be in his nature. He was such a spoiled child of fortune that I fancied if I left him alone to take his own way his passion would cool. Opposition fired him.'
'There is only one awkward circumstance in the whole case—as regards yourself, I mean.'
'What is that?' asked Clissold.
'Your objection to state where you spent last night.'
'I should be sorry if I were driven to so poor a defence as an alibi.'
'I don't think there's any fear of that. The evidence against you amounts to so little. But why not simplify matters by accounting for your time up to your return to-day? You only came back to Eborsham by the twelve o'clock train from Spinnersbury, you say?'