"Stand down," ordered the magistrate, and Marcus was called.
The house-boy corroborated in general the statements made by Campion. He had admitted the peddler at the back entrance, and had taken him to the butler's pantry. Campion had asked to see Mr. Graeme, and had been told that he was engaged.
"Were you with Campion all the time he was in the house?" asked Judge Hendricks.
"Yassah, 'cept when Mr. Effingham done call me into the dining room to help him turn ober the rug."
"Five minutes perhaps?"
But Marcus could not be positive about the elapsed period. He could only assert that when he returned to the pantry Campion had gone; presumably he had let himself out.
"But there is a door from the pantry into the short passage that leads to the library, isn't there?"
"Yassah."
"How about Effingham's master-key; did you ever hear of it?"
Marcus grinned all over with the irresistible comedy of his race. "Eberybody know all about 'um," he chuckled throatily. "Mr. Effingham hid 'um behind clock like old dog wif bone. Yah! yah!"