Goldberger passed the prints over to the head of the Bureau of Identification, then he turned back to the witness.

“Mr. Swain,” he said, “have you ever seen this cord before?” and he handed him the knotted cord.

Swain took it and examined it curiously, without hesitation or repugnance.

“No,” he answered, finally, “I never saw it before.”

“Do you know what it is?” and Goldberger watched him closely.

“I infer that it is the cord with which Mr. Vaughan was strangled.”

“That is so.  You did not see it around his neck?”

“I have no recollection of having done so.”

“Please look at the cord again, Mr. Swain,” said Goldberger, still watching him.  “You will see that it is knotted.  Can you describe those knots for me?”

Swain looked at the knots, and I was glad to see that his hands were absolutely steady and his face free from fear.  No murderer could handle so unconcernedly the instrument of his crime!  Surely the jury would see that!

“The knots,” said Swain, at last, “seem to be an ordinary square knot with which the cord was made into a noose, and then a double bowline to secure it.”

“A double bowline?  Can you tie such a knot?”

“Certainly.  Anyone who has ever owned a boat can do so.  It is the best knot for this purpose.”

The coroner reached out for the cord and replaced it in the envelope.  Then he produced the handkerchief.

“Can you identify this?” he asked, and handed it to the witness.

Swain changed colour a little as he took it.

“I cannot identify it,” he said, in a low voice; “but I will say this:  when Miss Vaughan found that my wrist was bleeding, she insisted upon tying her handkerchief around it.  This may be the handkerchief.”

Again a little shiver ran through the crowd, and Goldberger’s eyes were gleaming.

“You notice that two corners of the handkerchief are free from stain,” he said, “and are crumpled as though they had been tied in a knot.  The handkerchief Miss Vaughan used would probably be in that condition, would it not?”

“Yes,” Swain answered, his voice still low.

“You heard Dr. Hinman testify that he found the handkerchief beside the chair in which Mr. Vaughan was murdered?”

“Yes.”

“Can you explain its presence there?”

“I cannot, unless it dropped from my wrist when I stooped to raise Miss Vaughan.”

Goldberger looked at the witness for a moment, then he glanced at Sylvester, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

“That is all for the present, Mr. Swain,” the coroner said, and Swain sat down again beside me, very pale, but holding himself well in hand.

Then Simmonds took the stand.  His story developed nothing new, but he told of the finding of the body and of its appearance and manner of death in a way which brought back the scene to me very vividly.  I suspected that he made his story deliberately impressive in order to efface the good impression made by the previous witness.