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〃It was the right version；〃 resentfully spoke Afy。
〃How do you know that？〃
〃Oh！ because I'm sure it was。 Who else would kill him but Richard Hare？ It is a scandalous shame； your wanting to put it upon Thorn！〃
〃Look at the prisoner； Sir Francis Levison。 Is it he whom you knew as Thorn？〃
〃Yes； but that does not make him guilty of the murder。〃
〃Of course it does not；〃 complacently assented Lawyer Ball。 〃How long did you remain with Captain Thorn in Londonupon that little visit； you know？〃
Afy started like anybody moonstruck。
〃When you quitted this place； after the tragedy； it was to join Captain Thorn in London。 How long； I ask； did you remain with him？〃
Entirely a random shaft； this。 But Richard had totally denied to Lawyer Ball the popular assumption that Afy had been with him。
〃Who says I was with him？ Who says I went after him？〃 flashed Afy； with scarlet cheeks。
〃I do；〃 replied Lawyer Ball； taking notes of her confusion。 〃Come； it's over and done withit's of no use to deny it now。 We all go upon visits to friends sometimes。〃
〃I never heard anything so bold！〃 cried Afy。 〃Where will you tell me I went next？〃
〃You are upon your oath； woman！〃 again interposed Justice Hare； and a trembling； as of agitation； might be detected in his voice； in spite of its ringing severity。 〃Were you with the prisoner Levison； or were you with Richard Hare？〃
〃I with Richard Hare！〃 cried Afy； agitated in her turn； and shaking like an aspen…leaf； partly with discomfiture； partly with unknown dread。 〃How dare that cruel falsehood be brought up again； to my face？ I never saw Richard Hare after the night of the murder。 I swear it。 I swear that I never saw him since。 Visit /him/！ I'd sooner visit Calcraft； the hangman。〃
There was truth in the wordsin the tone。 The chairman let fall the hand which had been raised to his face； holding on his eye…glasses； and a sort of self…condemning fear arose； confusing his brain。 His son； proved innocent of one part； /might/ be proved innocent of the other； and thenhow would his own harsh conduct show out！ West Lynne； in its charity； the justice in his； had cast more odium to Richard； with regard to his after conduct touching this girl； than it had on the score of the murder。
〃Come；〃 said Lawyer Ball； in a coaxing tone； 〃let us be pleasant。 Of course you were not with Richard HareWest Lynne is always ill… naturedyou were on a visit to Captain Thorn； asas any other young lady might be？〃
Afy hung her head； cowed down to abject meekness。
〃Answer the question；〃 came forth the chairman's voice again。 〃/Were/ you with Thorn？〃
〃Yes；〃 though the answer was feeble enough。
Mr。 Ball coughed an insinuating cough。
〃Did you remain with himsay two or three years？〃
〃Not three。〃
〃A little over two； perhaps？〃
〃There was no harm in it；〃 shrieked Afy； with a catching sob of temper。 〃If I chose to live in London； and he chose to make a morning call upon me； now and then； as an old friend； what's that to anybody？ Where was the harm； I ask？〃
〃Certainlywhere was the harm？ /I/ am not insinuating any；〃 returned Lawyer Ball； with a wink of the eye furthest from the witness and the bench。 〃And； during the time thatthat he was making these little morning calls upon you； did you know him to be Levison？〃
〃Yes。 I knew him to be Captain Levison then。〃
〃Did he ever tell you why he had assumed the name of Thorn？〃
〃Only for a whim； he said。 The day he spoke to me in the pastrycook's shop at Swainson； something came over him； in the spur of the moment； not to give his right name； so he gave the first that came into his head。 He never thought to retain it； or that other people would hear of him by it。〃
〃I dare say not；〃 laconically spoke Lawyer Ball。 〃Well； Miss Afy； I believe that is all for the present。 I want Ebenezer James in again；〃 he whispered to an officer of the justice…room； as the witness retired。
Ebenezer James reappeared and took Afy's place。
〃You informed their worships； just now； that you had met Thorn in London； some eighteen months subsequent to the murder；〃 began Lawyer Ball； launching another of his shafts。 〃This must have been during the period of Afy Hallijohn's sojourn with him。 Did you also see /her/？〃
Mr。 Ebenezer opened his eyes。 He knew nothing of the evidence just given by Afy； and wondered how on earth it had come outthat she had been with Thorn at all。 He had never betrayed it。
〃Afy？〃 stammered he。
〃Yes； Afy；〃 sharply returned the lawyer。 〃Their worships know that when she took that trip of hers from West Lynne it was to join Thorn not Richard Harethough the latter has borne the credit of it。 I ask you； did you see her？ for she was then still connected with him。〃
〃Wellyes； I did；〃 replied Mr。 Ebenezer； his own scruples removed； but wondering still how it had been discovered； unless Afy hadas he had prophesied she wouldlet out in her 〃tantrums。〃 〃In fact； it was Afy whom I first saw。〃
〃State the circumstances。〃
〃I was up Paddington way one afternoon； and saw a lady going into a house。 It was Afy Hallijohn。 She lived there； I foundhad the drawing…room apartments。 She invited me to stay to tea with her； and I did。〃
〃Did you see Captain Levison there？〃
〃I saw Thornas I thought him to be。 Afy told me I must be away by eight o'clock； for she was expecting a friend who sometimes came to sit with her for an hour's chat。 But； in talking over old timesnot that I could tell her much about West Lynne； for I had left it almost as long as she hadthe time slipped on past the hour。 When Afy found that out she hurried me off； and I had barely got outside the gate when a cab drove up； and Thorn alighted from it； and let himself in with a latch…key。 That is all I know。〃
〃When you knew that the scandal of Afy's absence rested on Richard Hare； why could you not have said this； and cleared him； on your return to West Lynne？〃
〃It was no affair of mine； that I should make it public。 Afy asked me not to say I had seen her； and I promised her I would not。 As to Richard Hare； a little extra scandal on his back was nothing； while there remained on it the worse scandal of murder。〃
〃Stop a bit；〃 interposed Mr。 Rubiny； as the witness was about to retire。 〃You speak of the time being eight o'clock in the evening； sir。 Was it dark？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Then how can you be certain it was Thorn who got out of the cab and entered？〃
〃I am quite certain。 There was a gas…lamp right at the spot； and I saw him as well as I should have seen him in daylight。 I knew his voice； too； could have sworn to it anywhere； and I would almost have sworn to him by his splendid diamond ring。 It flashed in the lamplight。〃
〃His voice！ Did he speak to you？〃
〃No。 But he spoke to the cabman。 There was a half dispute between them。 The man said Thorn had not paid him enough； that he had not allowed for having been kept waiting twenty minutes on the road。 Thorn swore at him a bit； and then flung him an extra shilling。〃
The next witness was a man who had been groom to the late Sir Peter Levison。 He testified that the prisoner； Francis Levison had been on a visit to his master late in the summer and part of the autumn； the year that Hallijohn was killed。 That he frequen