day.  Yes, thought the whole thing funny because had frequently seen Sabre and the girl together during Sabre’s leave.  Any particular occasion?  Well, did it really matter?  Must he really answer?  Yes, notably in the Cloister tea rooms late one evening.  Well, yes, had thought their behavior odd, secretive.  Sabre’s position in the office?  Well, was it really necessary to go into that?  Well, had to admit Sabre was no longer a member of the firm.  Had been suspended during intimacy with the deceased, now dismissed consequent upon this grave development.  Had he ever had occasion in the past, in earlier days, to remonstrate with Sabre concerning attitude towards girl?  Well, scarcely liked to say so, hated to say so, but certainly there had been such occasions.  Yes, had spoken seriously to Sabre about it.

“There ripped across the court as he said that, old man, a woman’s voice from the back.  ’It’s a lie.  It’s an abominable lie.  And you know it’s a lie!’

“By Jove, I tell you!  I nearly swallowed my back teeth with the effect of the thing.  Give you my word I thought for a minute it was the girl come to life and walked in out of her coffin.  That voice!  High and clear and fine and true as an Angelus bell across a harvest field.  ’It’s a lie.  It’s an abominable lie; and you know it’s a lie!’

“Eh?  Terrific?  I tell you terrific isn’t the word.  It was the Fairfax business at the trial of King Charles over again.  It absolutely was.  Buddha nearly had a fit:  ’Silence!  How dare you, madam!  Turn out that woman!  Who is that?’

“Commotion.  A woman pressed out from the mob behind and walked up the court like a goddess, like Portia, by Jove, like Euphrosyne.  ’Let no one dare to touch me,’ she said.  ’I am Lady Tybar.  Every one knows me here.  I’ve just come in.  Just heard.  This shameful business.  All of you killing him between you.’  She pointed a hand at Twyning.  ’And you.  I tell you before all this court, and you may take what steps you like, I tell you that you are a liar, an experienced and calculating liar.’  And she went with that to old Sabre and stooped over him and touched him with both her hands and said, ‘Marko, Marko.’

“You know she’d got that blooming court stiff and cold.  The suddenness and the decision and the—­the arrogance of the thing took ’em all ends up and had ’em speechless.  She was there by Sabre and stooping over him, mothering him, before Buddha or any of ’em could have found the wits to say what his own name was.  Let alone the Iscariot.

“Matter of fact Sabre was the first one to speak.  He threw up his arm from where he’d been covering his face, just as he’d thrown it up when I called out, and swung her hands aside and called out, ’Don’t touch me.  Let me alone.  Leave me alone.’

“She motioned to the man beside him, and the chap got up as if her motion had been Circe’s and disappeared.  Through the roof or somewhere.  I don’t know.  Anyway, he vanished.  And she took his place and sat down beside Sabre and poor old Sabre crouched away from her as if he was stung, and old Buddha, reaching out for his dignity, said, ’You may remain there, madam, if you do not interrupt the court.’