By the Prosecution:  “Don’t you think, from the comparative ease with which the door yielded to your onslaught, that it is highly probable that the pin of the bolt was not in a firmly fixed staple, but in one already detached from the woodwork of the lintel?”

“The door did not yield so easily.”

“But you must be a Hercules.”

“Not quite; the bolt was old, and the woodwork crumbling; the lock was new and shoddy.  But I have always been a strong man.”

“Very well, Mr. Grodman.  I hope you will never appear at the music-halls.” (Laughter.)

Jessie Dymond’s landlady was the next witness for the prosecution.  She corroborated Wimp’s statements as to Constant’s occasional visits, and narrated how the girl had been enlisted by the dead philanthropist as a collaborator in some of his enterprises.  But the most telling portion of her evidence was the story of how, late at night, on December 3rd, the prisoner called upon her and inquired wildly about the whereabouts of his sweetheart.  He said he had just received a mysterious letter from Miss Dymond saying she was gone.  She (the landlady) replied that she could have told him that weeks ago, as her ungrateful lodger was gone now some three weeks without leaving a hint behind her.  In answer to his most ungentlemanly raging and raving, she told him it served him right, as he should have looked after her better, and not kept away for so long.  She reminded him that there were as good fish in the sea as ever came out, and a girl of Jessie’s attractions need not pine away (as she had seemed to be pining away) for lack of appreciation.  He then called her a liar and left her, and she hoped never to see his face again, though she was not surprised to see it in the dock.

Mr. FITZJAMES MONTGOMERY, a bank clerk, remembered cashing the cheque produced.  He particularly remembered it, because he paid the money to a very pretty girl.  She took the entire amount in gold.  At this point the case was adjourned.

DENZIL CANTERCOT was the first witness called for the prosecution on the resumption of the trial.  Pressed as to whether he had not told Mr. Wimp that he had overheard the prisoner denouncing Mr. Constant, he could not say.  He had not actually heard the prisoner’s denunciations; he might have given Mr. Wimp a false impression, but then Mr. Wimp was so prosaically literal. (Laughter.) Mr. Crowl had told him something of the kind.  Cross-examined, he said Jessie Dymond was a rare spirit and she always reminded him of Joan of Arc.

Mr. CROWL, being called, was extremely agitated.  He refused to take the oath, and informed the court that the Bible was a Fad.  He could not swear by anything so self-contradictory.  He would affirm.  He could not deny—­though he looked like wishing to—­that the prisoner had at first been rather mistrustful of Mr. Constant, but he was certain that the feeling had quickly worn off.  Yes, he was a great friend of the prisoner, but he didn’t see why that should invalidate his testimony, especially as he had not taken an oath.  Certainly the prisoner seemed rather depressed when he saw him on Bank Holiday, but it was overwork on behalf of the people and for the demolition of the Fads.