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 her dealings with the police and the murdered man coming from her native village was so much fiction. It was a marvellous piece of improvisation."

"We shall none of us believe that."

"Of course you won't, dear boys; you are not expected to. But as soon as he realized his opportunity he took an amazing advantage of it. It was daring, I grant you, an unparalleled piece of effrontery. I don't know another man at the bar who, had he been capable of a coup of that kind, would have ventured to play it. The whole thing was the most audacious piece of work ever seen."

"But, my dear Jum, he had no right to do a thing of that kind."

"Of course not, dear boy, but he did it."

"But why didn't Weekes stop him?"

"Because Weekes did not know any more than you. He would be the last man in the world to see a thing of that kind."

"Then why didn't Topott call his attention to it?"

"Topott also was completely taken in."

"Then by your own showing, Jum, you were the cleverest man in court this morning?"

"The cleverest but one, dear old boy. My young friend Jem Smith was the cleverest by very long chalks, but my perspicacity is deserving of honorable mention."

"It is not the first time," said the table, roaring with laughter, "that this fatal drink habit has caused you to see things."