“Well, no, not according to law,” said the rector. “According to him—and I could see that none of the magistrates dared to contradict him—he was only bound to state, as any other witness might have done, the facts that had fallen under his own observation. They tried hard to make him say what he thought himself as to Garlett’s guilt or innocence, but he refused, very properly, to give an opinion.”
“Of course it will be got out of him at the trial,” exclaimed his wife.
“Do you know whether Dr. Maclean is to appear for the prosecution or the defence?” asked Miss Prince.
“For the prosecution, surely?” cried Mrs. Cole-Wright quickly. “But the defence will cross-examine him, and I pity the poor man if, as I heard yesterday, Sir Harold Anstey has already been briefed by Mr. Toogood.”
“Maclean said one thing that struck me very much,” said the rector. “He reminded the magistrates that a medical witness should always remember that he is not retained for any particular person, but in the cause of justice alone. I think you will find that he will make a most excellent witness. He certainly managed to conceal what he really thought from me—I could form no opinion as to whether he believes Garlett innocent or guilty.”
“You’d have made it out fast enough if he thought the man innocent,” said his wife shrewdly.
“Of course he knows Harry Garlett to be guilty,” exclaimed Miss Prince in a hard voice. “I don’t see how any one can doubt it.”
“How well I remember,” went on the rector, “Dr. Maclean coming up that Sunday morning, just as I was going into church, to tell me of Mrs. Garlett’s death. He looked terribly tired, for he had been up most of the night. But still we had a little talk about it. I was very much shocked, for, if you remember”—he turned to his wife—“I had seen Mrs. Garlett the day before, and she had seemed to me rather brighter than usual.”
He waited a moment, then exclaimed: “By the way, I remember now that Maclean actually mentioned those strawberries as having caused the acute indigestion which resulted in her death!”
His wife looked at him apprehensively. “Be careful what you say, Philip. You don’t want to be called as a witness?”