PC Oates gave formal evidence of the finding of the body. Then Sebastian Parish was called and identified the body. Everybody who had seen his performance of a bereaved brother in a trial scene of a famous picture, was now vividly reminded of it. But Parish’s emotion, thought Cubitt, could not be purely histrionic unless, as he had once declared, he actually changed colour under the stress of a painful scene. Sebastian was now very pale indeed and Cubitt wondered uneasily what he thought of this affair, and how deeply he regretted the loss of his cousin. He gave his evidence in a low voice but it carried to the end of the building, and when he faltered at the description of Watchman’s death, at least two of the elderly ladies in the public seats were moved to tears. Parish wore a grey suit, a soft white shirt and a black tie. He looked amazingly handsome and on his arrival, had been photographed several times.

Cubitt was called next and confirmed Parish’s evidence.

Then Miss Darragh appeared. The other witnesses exuded discomfort and formality but Miss Darragh was completely at her ease. She took the oath with an air of intelligent interest. The coroner asked her if she had remembered anything that she hadn’t mentioned in her first statement or if there was any point that had been missed by the previous witness.

‘There is not,’ said Miss Darragh. ‘I told the doctor, Dr Shaw ‘twas, all I had seen; and when the policeman, Constable Oates ‘twas, came up on the morning after the accident, I told ‘um all I knew all over again. If I may be allowed to say so it is my opinion that the small wound Mr Watchman had from the dart had nothing whatever to do with his death.’

‘What makes you think, that, Miss Darragh?’ asked the coroner with an air of allowing Miss Darragh a certain amount of latitude.

‘Wasn’t it a small paltry prick from a brand new dart that couldn’t hurt a child? As Mr Parish said at the time, he was but frightened at the sight of his own blood. That was my own impression. ‘Twas later that he became so ill.’

‘When did you notice the change in his condition?’

‘Later.’

‘Was it after he had taken the brandy?’

‘It was. Then or about then or after.’

‘He took the brandy after Mr Pomeroy put iodine on his finger?’

‘He did.’

‘You agree for the rest with the previous statements?’

‘I do.’

‘Thank you, Miss Darragh.’

Decima Moore came next. Decima looked badly shaken but she gave her evidence very clearly and firmly. The coroner stopped her when she came to the incident of the brandy. He had a curious trick of prefacing many of his questions with a slight moan, rather in the manner of a stage parson.

‘N-n-n you say, Miss Moore, that the deceased swallowed some of the brandy?’