When he heard this Tommy started. Certainly no doctor could have mistaken me for under one-and-twenty.
She was far advanced in pregnancy.
Tommy started again. I fancied that Mrs. Tennant started too.
The cause of death was strangulation.
Tommy started more and more. Leaning over the rail of the dock, he stared at the witness with all his eyes.
He was sure of it. He had no doubt upon the point whatever. Unfortunately, there was no room for doubt. She had been killed by the pressure of a man's hands and fingers. Great violence must have been used. In fact, extraordinary violence. The skin of the throat was discoloured. Marks of a man's hands and fingers were most distinct. Indeed, so distinct, that when he first saw them they amounted almost to a model. There were slight bruises on the body, such as might have been caused by a fall. There was a livid bruise which ran from shoulder to shoulder across the back. It had probably been caused by pressure. For instance, by pressure against the edge of a carriage seat. His theory was that she had been forced back against the edge of the carriage seat, and in that position strangled. Falling from the train had not been the cause of death. The fall had nothing to do with it.
When Sir Haselton Jardine sat down Tommy and Mr. Bates had quite a long confabulation. Tommy seemed half beside himself with excitement--I very well knew why! It struck me, however, that Mr. Bates did not seem very much impressed.
Still, acting no doubt on his client's strenuous instructions, he subjected the doctor to a rigorous cross-examination.
But it was all in vain.
Poor Tommy!