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368 'Let me say a word,' Mr. Cupples interposed again, folding his hands above his plate. 'I assure you I am far from abandoning reason. I am certain he is innocent, and I always was certain of it, because of something that I know, and knew from the very beginning. You asked me just now to imagine myself on the jury at Marlowe's trial. That would be an unprofitable exercise of the mental powers, because I know that I should be present in another capacity. I should be in the witness-box, giving evidence for the defence. You said just now, "If there were a single piece of evidence in support of his tale." There is, and it is my evidence. And,' he added quietly, 'it is conclusive.' He took up his knife and fork and went contentedly on with his dinner.

The pallor of sudden excitement had turned Trent to marble while Mr. Cupples led laboriously up to this statement. At the last word the blood rushed to his face again, and he struck the table with an unnatural laugh. 'It can't be!' he exploded. 'It's something you fancied, something you dreamed after one of those debauches of soda and milk. You can't really mean that all the time I was working on the