"By which you mean?"
"That without this mark, basing my opinion merely upon my long acquaintance with the man, I would be ready to declare that Mr. Quadrant's body is the one which was taken from the water."
"What, then, is your opinion as to how this strange occurrence has come about? If Mr. Quadrant was cremated, how could——"
"It could not, of course. This is not the age of miracles. Mr. Quadrant was not cremated. Of that we may be certain."
"But the family claim that they saw his body consigned to the furnace."
"The family believe this, I have no doubt. But how could they be sure? Let us be accurate in considering what we call facts. What did the family see at the crematory? They saw a closed coffin placed into the furnace."
"A coffin, though, which contained the body of their relative."
Mr. Barnes did not of course himself believe this, but made the remark merely to lead the doctor on.
"Again you are inaccurate. Let us rather say a coffin which once contained the body of their relative."
"Ah; then you think that it was taken from the coffin and another substituted for it?"