“Did you say anything likely to incriminate yourself?” Fitzgerald turned away his head.

“Yes,” he answered in a low voice, “I spoke very wildly—­indeed, I did not know at the time what I said.”

“Did you threaten him?”

“Yes, I did.  I told him I would kill him if he persisted in his plan of marrying Madge.”

“Ah! if the landlady can swear that she heard you say so, it will form a strong piece of evidence against you.  So far as I can see, there is only one defence, and that is an easy one—­you must prove an alibi.”

No answer.

“You say you did not come back and get into the cab?” said Calton, watching the face of the other closely.

“No, it was some one else dressed like me.”

“And you have no idea who it was?”

“No, I have not.”

“Then, after you left Whyte, and walked along Russel!  Street, where did you go?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Were you intoxicated?”

“No!” indignantly

“Then you remember?”

“Yes.”

“And where were you?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“You refuse.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Take time to consider.  You may have to pay a heavy price for your refusal.”

“If necessary, I will pay it.”

“And you won’t tell me where you were?”

“No, I won’t.”

Calton was beginning to feel annoyed.

“You’re very foolish,” he said, “sacrificing your life to some feeling of false modesty.  You must prove an alibi.”

No answer.

“At what hour did you get home?”

“About two o’clock in the morning.”

“Did you walk home?”

“Yes—­through the Fitzroy Gardens.”

“Did you see anyone on your way home?”

“I don’t know.  I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Did anyone see you?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Then you refuse to tell me where you were between one and two o’clock on Friday morning?”

“Absolutely!”

Calton thought for a moment, to consider his next move.

“Did you know that Whyte carried valuable papers about with him?”

Fitzgerald hesitated, and turned pale.

“No!  I did not know,” he said, reluctantly.

The lawyer made a master stroke.

“Then why did you take them from him?”

“What!  Had he it with him?”

Calton saw his advantage, and seized it at once.

“Yes, he had it with him.  Why did you take it?”

“I did not take it.  I didn’t even know he had it with him.”

“Indeed!  Will you kindly tell me what ‘it’ is Brian saw the trap into which he had fallen.”

“No!  I will not,” he answered steadily.

“Was it a jewel?”

“No!”

“Was it an important paper?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ah!  It was a paper.  I can see it in your face.  And was that paper of importance to you?”