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Page 25
So much for that, thought Bryce. He turned with more interest
to the next witness--the Duke of Saxonsteade, the great local
magnate, a big, bluff man who had been present in court since
the beginning of the proceedings, in which he was manifestly
highly interested. It was possible that he might be able to
tell something of moment--he might, after all, know something
of this apparently mysterious stranger, who, for anything that
Mrs. Partingley or anybody else could say to the contrary,
might have had an appointment and business with him.
But his Grace knew nothing. He had never heard the name of
John Braden in his life--so far as he remembered. He had just
seen the body of the unfortunate man and had looked carefully
at the features. He was not a man of whom he had any
knowledge whatever--he could not recollect ever having seen
him anywhere at any time. He knew literally nothing of him
--could not think of any reason at all why this Mr. John
Braden should wish to see him.
"Your Grace has, no doubt, had business dealings with a good
many people at one time or another," suggested the Coroner.
"Some of them, perhaps, with men whom your Grace only saw for
a brief space of time--a few minutes, possibly. You don't
remember ever seeing this man in that way?"
"I'm credited with having an unusually good memory for faces,"
answered the Duke. "And--if I may say so--rightly. But I
don't remember this man at all--in fact, I'd go as far as to
say that I'm positive I've never--knowingly--set eyes on him
in my life."
"Can your Grace suggest any reason at all why he should wish
to call on you?" asked the Coroner.
"None! But then," replied the Duke, "there might be many
reasons--unknown to me, but at which I can make a guess. If
he was an antiquary, there are lots of old things at
Saxonsteade which he might wish to see. Or he might be a
lover of pictures--our collection is a bit famous, you know.
Perhaps he was a bookman--we have some rare editions. I could
go on multiplying reasons--but to what purpose?"
"The fact is, your Grace doesn't know him and knows nothing
about him," observed the Coroner.
"Just no--nothing!" agreed the Duke and stepped down again.
It was at this stage that the Coroner sent the jurymen away in
charge of his officer to make a careful personal inspection of
the gallery in the clerestory. And while they were gone there
was some commotion caused in the court by the entrance of a
police official who conducted to the Coroner a middle-aged,
well-dressed man whom Bryce at once set down as a London
commercial magnate of some quality. Between the new arrival
and the Coroner an interchange of remarks was at once made,
shared in presently by some of the officials at the table.
And when the jury came back the stranger was at once ushered
into the witness-box, and the Coroner turned to the jury and
the court.
"We are unexpectedly able to get some evidence of identity,
gentlemen," he observed. "The gentleman who has just stepped
into the witness-box is Mr. Alexander Chilstone, manager of
the London & Colonies Bank, in Threadneedle Street. Mr.
Chilstone saw particulars of this matter in the newspapers
this morning, and he at once set off to Wrychester to tell us
what he knows of the dead man. We are very much obliged to
Mr. Chilstone--and when he has been sworn he will perhaps
kindly tell us what he can."
In the midst of the murmur of sensation which ran round the
court, Bryce indulged himself with a covert look at Ransford
who was sitting opposite to him, beyond the table in the
centre of the room. He saw at once that Ransford, however
strenuously he might be fighting to keep his face under
control, was most certainly agitated by the Coroner's
announcement. His cheeks had paled, his eyes were a little
dilated, his lips parted as he stared at the bank-manager
--altogether, it was more than mere curiosity that was
indicated on his features. And Bryce, satisfied and secretly
elated, turned to hear what Mr. Alexander Chilstone had to
tell.
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