It was then that the white-headed man dropped his eyes for once; and for
once the thin, hard lines of his mouth relaxed in a smile that seemed to
epitomize all the evil that was in his face, and to give it forth in one
sudden sour quintessence.




CHAPTER III

NAME AND NATURE


The prisoner's evidence concluded with a perfectly simple if somewhat
hesitating account of her own doings during the remainder of the night
of her husband's murder. That story has already been told in greater
detail than could be extracted even by the urbane but deadly
cross-examiner who led for the Crown. A change had come over the manner
in which Rachel was giving her evidence; it was as though her strength
and nerve were failing her together, and henceforth the words had to be
put into her mouth. Curiously enough, the change in Mrs. Minchin's
demeanor was almost coincident with the single and rather sinister
display of feeling upon the part of the white-haired gentleman who had
followed every word of the case. On the whole, however, her story bore
the stamp of truth; and a half-apologetic but none the less persistent
cross-examination left it scarcely less convincing than before.

There was one independent witness for the defence, in addition to the
experts in photography and chains. The landlady of the house at which
Rachel called, in the early morning, on her way home with the cab, was