John Brancker rose to his feet.
"Don't say anything now," whispered Mr. Avison.
"I must, sir--I must," answered John, with a passionate ring in his voice. Then turning to the Coroner, he said:
"Sir, as I stand here, a living man, I swear that I never saw or spoke to this person before to-day, that I was never inside his shop in my life, and that I never purchased a knife like the one in question either of him or of anyone else." Having said these few words, John resumed his seat.
"Have you any questions to ask the last witness?" asked the Coroner of Mr. Prestwich. He had listened with polite attention to John, but had made no comment.
Mr. Prestwich shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Only two minutes before he had whispered to Edward Hazeldine, who was seated in the next chair, "The evidence this week seems tending in the same direction as that of last week."
"I don't care for that--John Brancker is an innocent man," was the emphatic reply.
"In any case," said Mr. Prestwich, "I should like to put a few questions to the man Brill."
"I beg you will do nothing of the kind, at least not now," was all he got in answer.
After that Mr. Prestwich could say no more. To him Edward Hazeldine's pig-headedness, as he termed it in his own mind, was altogether inexplicable.