c.o.kESON. Robert c.o.keson.

FROME. Are you managing clerk to the firm of solicitors who employ the prisoner?

c.o.kESON. Ye-es.

FROME. How long had the prisoner been in their employ?

c.o.kESON. Two years. No, I'm wrong there--all but seventeen days.

FROME. Had you him under your eye all that time?

c.o.kESON. Except Sundays and holidays.

FROME. Quite so. Let us hear, please, what you have to say about his general character during those two years.

c.o.kESON. [Confidentially to the jury, and as if a little surprised at being asked] He was a nice, pleasant-spoken young man. I'd no fault to find with him--quite the contrary. It was a great surprise to me when he did a thing like that.

FROME. Did he ever give you reason to suspect his honesty?

c.o.kESON. No! To have dishonesty in our office, that'd never do.

FROME. I'm sure the jury fully appreciate that, Mr. c.o.keson.

c.o.kESON. Every man of business knows that honesty's 'the sign qua non'.

FROME. Do you give him a good character all round, or do you not?

c.o.kESON. [Turning to the JUDGE] Certainly. We were all very jolly and pleasant together, until this happened. Quite upset me.

FROME. Now, coming to the morning of the 7th of July, the morning on which the cheque was altered. What have you to say about his demeanour that morning?

c.o.kESON. [To the jury] If you ask me, I don't think he was quite compos when he did it.

THE JUDGE. [Sharply] Are you suggesting that he was insane?

c.o.kESON. Not compos.

THE JUDGE. A little more precision, please.

FROME. [Smoothly] Just tell us, Mr. c.o.keson.

c.o.kESON. [Somewhat outraged] Well, in my opinion--[looking at the JUDGE]--such as it is--he was jumpy at the time. The jury will understand my meaning.

FROME. Will you tell us how you came to that conclusion?

c.o.kESON. Ye-es, I will. I have my lunch in from the restaurant, a chop and a potato--saves time. That day it happened to come just as Mr. Walter How handed me the cheque. Well, I like it hot; so I went into the clerks' office and I handed the cheque to Davis, the other clerk, and told him to get change. I noticed young Falder walking up and down. I said to him: "This is not the Zoological Gardens, Falder."

FROME. Do you remember what he answered?

c.o.kESON. Ye-es: "I wish to G.o.d it were!" Struck me as funny.

FROME. Did you notice anything else peculiar?

c.o.kESON. I did.

FROME. What was that?

c.o.kESON. His collar was unb.u.t.toned. Now, I like a young man to be neat. I said to him: "Your collar's unb.u.t.toned."

FROME. And what did he answer?

c.o.kESON. Stared at me. It wasn't nice.

THE JUDGE. Stared at you? Isn't that a very common practice?

c.o.kESON. Ye-es, but it was the look in his eyes. I can't explain my meaning--it was funny.

FROME. Had you ever seen such a look in his eyes before?

c.o.kESON. No. If I had I should have spoken to the partners. We can't have anything eccentric in our profession.

THE JUDGE. Did you speak to them on that occasion?

c.o.kESON. [Confidentially] Well, I didn't like to trouble them about prime facey evidence.

FROME. But it made a very distinct impression on your mind?

c.o.kESON. Ye-es. The clerk Davis could have told you the same.

FROME. Quite so. It's very unfortunate that we've not got him here.

Now can you tell me of the morning on which the discovery of the forgery was made? That would be the 18th. Did anything happen that morning?

c.o.kESON. [With his hand to his ear] I'm a little deaf.

FROME. Was there anything in the course of that morning--I mean before the discovery--that caught your attention?

c.o.kESON. Ye-es--a woman.

THE JUDGE. How is this relevant, Mr. Frome?

FROME. I am trying to establish the state of mind in which the prisoner committed this act, my lord.

THE JUDGE. I quite appreciate that. But this was long after the act.

FROME. Yes, my lord, but it contributes to my contention.

THE JUDGE. Well!