[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.
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