COKESON.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?
COKESON.[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?
COKESON.[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?
COKESON.Not compos.
THE JUDGE.A little more precision,please.
FROME.[Smoothly]Just tell us,Mr.Cokeson.
COKESON.[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?
COKESON.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?
COKESON.Ye-es:"I wish to God it were!"Struck me as funny.
FROME.Did you notice anything else peculiar?
COKESON.I did.
FROME.What was that?
COKESON.His collar was unbuttoned.Now,I like a young man to be neat.I said to him:"Your collar's unbuttoned."FROME.And what did he answer?
COKESON.Stared at me.It wasn't nice.
THE JUDGE.Stared at you?Isn't that a very common practice?
COKESON.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?
COKESON.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?
COKESON.[Confidentially]Well,I didn't like to trouble them about prime facey evidence.
FROME.But it made a very distinct impression on your mind?
COKESON.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?
COKESON.[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?
COKESON.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!
FROME.You say a woman.Do you mean that she came to the office?
COKESON.Ye-es.
FROME.What for?
COKESON.Asked to see young Falder;he was out at the moment.
FROME.Did you see her?
COKESON.I did.
FROME.Did she come alone?
COKESON.[Confidentially]Well,there you put me in a difficulty.
I mustn't tell you what the office-boy told me.
FROME.Quite so,Mr.Cokeson,quite so…
COKESON.[Breaking in with an air of "You are young--leave it to me"]But I think we can get round it.In answer to a question put to her by a third party the woman said to me:"They're mine,sir."THE JUDGE.What are?What were?
COKESON.Her children.They were outside.
THE JUDGE.HOW do you know?
COKESON.Your lordship mustn't ask me that,or I shall have to tell you what I was told--and that'd never do.
THE JUDGE.[Smiling]The office-boy made a statement.
COKESON.Egg-zactly.
FROME.What I want to ask you,Mr.Cokeson,is this.In the course of her appeal to see Falder,did the woman say anything that you specially remember?
COKESON.[Looking at him as if to encourage him to complete the sentence]A leetle more,sir.
FROME.Or did she not?
COKESON.She did.I shouldn't like you to have led me to the answer.
FROME.[With an irritated smile]Will you tell the jury what it was?
COKESON."It's a matter of life and death."
FOREMAN OF THE JURY.Do you mean the woman said that?
COKESON.[Nodding]It's not the sort of thing you like to have said to you.
FROME.[A little impatiently]Did Falder come in while she was there?[COKESON nods]And she saw him,and went away?
COKESON.Ah!there I can't follow you.I didn't see her go.
FROME.Well,is she there now?
COKESON.[With an indulgent smile]No!
FROME.Thank you,Mr.Cokeson.[He sits down.]
CLEAVER.[Rising]You say that on the morning of the forgery the prisoner was jumpy.Well,now,sir,what precisely do you mean by that word?
COKESON.[Indulgently]I want you to understand.Have you ever seen a dog that's lost its master?He was kind of everywhere at once with his eyes.
CLEAVER.Thank you;I was coming to his eyes.You called them "funny."What are we to understand by that?Strange,or what?
COKESON.Ye-es,funny.
COKESON.[Sharply]Yes,sir,but what may be funny to you may not be funny to me,or to the jury.Did they look frightened,or shy,or fierce,or what?
COKESON.You make it very hard for me.I give you the word,and you want me to give you another.
CLEAVER.[Rapping his desk]Does "funny"mean mad?
CLEAVER.Not mad,fun…
CLEAVER.Very well!Now you say he had his collar unbuttoned?Was it a hot day?
COKESON.Ye-es;I think it was.
CLEAVER.And did he button it when you called his attention to it?
COKESON.Ye-es,I think he did.
CLEAVER.Would you say that that denoted insanity?
He sits downs.COKESON,who has opened his mouth to reply,is left gaping.
FROME.[Rising hastily]Have you ever caught him in that dishevelled state before?
COKESON.No!He was always clean and quiet.
FROME.That will do,thank you.
