“Ah,� said the old lawyer, with the air of having made a discovery, “to be sure; it’s the room we call ‘the cage’—on the basement floor. Rather a dreary place to wait, Miss Diana: how long were you there?�
“I am not sure,� she replied, coloring suddenly, “but certainly an hour. It was a little after twelve when we reached the building, and I heard the clock strike one just before the shots were fired.�
“Ah! You heard the shots?�
“I did.�
“How many did you hear, Miss Diana?� the judge asked in his easiest, most conversational tone.
“Two, Judge, two reports in quick succession.�
“And you heard only two?� his tone was sharp, incisive; it cut like a knife.
Diana threw him a startled glance, but she was still composed, though the breathless silence in the room was deeply affecting.
“I heard but two,� she said firmly.
“How soon after one o’clock?� he demanded, his bony forefinger following her testimony, as it seemed, across the cover of the book he held.