The temerity which had made it possible to associate the name of
such a man as Francis Jeffrey with an outrageous crime having been
thus in a measure explained, the coroner recalled that gentleman and
again thoroughly surprised the gaping public.
Had the witness accompanied his wife to the Moore house?
"No"
Had he met her there by any appointment he had made with her or
which had been made for them both by some third person?
"No"
Had he been at the Moore house on the night of the eleventh at any
time previous to the hour when he was brought there by the officials?
"No."
Would he glance at this impression of certain finger-tips which had
been left in the dust of the southwest chamber mantel?
He had already noted them.
Now would he place his left hand on the paper and see -
"It is not necessary," he burst forth, in great heat. "I own to
those marks. That is, I have no doubt they were made by my hand"
Here, unconsciously, his eyes flew to the member thus referred to,
as if conscious that in some way it had proved a traitor to him;
after which his gaze traveled slowly my way, with an indescribable
question in it which roused my conscience and made the trick by
which I had got the impression of his hand seem less of a triumph
than I had heretofore considered it.
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