‘Is that all you have to say?’
‘That is all.’
The next witness was Mr. Mosheh, the diamond merchant. His evidence consisted of a straight and succinct narrative of his interview with the stranger who offered for sale a set of imitation diamonds under the impression that he was offering real stones of great value.
‘These crystals were some of them equal in size to the largest diamonds known in the trade,’ said Mr. Mosheh. ‘They would have been a tremendous haul for a thief, if they had been real.’
He gave the date of the man’s visit, which was within a week of La Chicot’s murder.
‘Could you identify the man who called upon you with those stones?’ asked the magistrate.
‘I believe I could.’
‘Was he the prisoner?’
‘Certainly not. He was a man of between fifty and sixty years of age.’
‘Has anybody a photograph of Desrolles?’