Original subtitles

Nothing I've heard makes me think for a moment that it's possible.

- I know Mr Finn. - He is said to have been angry.

One may be angry without killing another.

Everything I know about Mr Finn tells me he could not have done this.

But clearly, there is a case which must be answered.

And answered very soon.

We cannot afford to be accused of protecting Mr Finn

merely because he sits in Parliament.

Indeed, that very fact makes it imperative

the whole thing be tried and settled as swifily as possible.

Justice must be seen to be done.

Duke, I agree, but...

No news, I'm afraid, Prime Minister, or rather, none for our comfort.

With respect, Prime Minister.

Mr Monk, this second suspect, what is he, this Reverend Mr Emilius so-called?

His motive for killing Bonteen was 100 times stronger than Finn's.

Surely? Bonteen was well on the way to proving he had committed bigamy.

Emilius has been closely questioned

and he insists that he was in bed all that night in the lodging house of a Mrs Meager

near the Fleet.

Mrs Meager confirms his story.

So, the police have had to release him.

So there is no proof against Mr Emilius, but, equally, none against Finn.

There is Fawn's evidence about the coat

The man he saw running towards the passage

was wearing just such a coat as Finn's.

- There must be hundreds similar. - But not worn by men who hated Bonteen.

And whose advancement Bonteen was blocking.

Gentlemen, I would as soon suspect my own wife as Phineas Finn.

You're putting your opinion of the man before the facts.

- I am not sure that we yet know the facts. - As far they go.

Unless they can be upset, I fear they would be conclusive to me on a jury.

This affair cannot be allowed to drag on. Mr Finn has been remanded in custody twice.

- Remanded for lack of evidence. - For fear of displeasing us.

I suggest that word be passed to the magistrate

that delay is no longer in Mr Finn's interest or in ours.

That is, if in the magistrates' honest opinion,

there is enough to send Mr Finn for trial.

I fear there is enough for that

There is no doubt about it.

Yet I feel as convinced of Finn's innocence as I do of my own.

Planty had brought some more news, so of course, I sent for you at once.

There is new evidence? They have released Mr Finn?

I'm afraid not, Marie.

But of course Emilius did it.

Yes, of course he did, but all the evidence goes to show he didn't.

You see, he was in bed at the time, the door of the lodgings was locked,

and he didn't have a key because he'd lent it to his landlady.

But even lodgings such as his have windows.

And all the windows in this case were barred.

Phineas Finn...

suspected of murder...

It is not possible.

Glencora!

You know the man. He is an angel.

Oh, Phineas! Oh, my God!

Please, Marie, you must be calm.

I'm only trying to tell you what is being said.

I will never believe it. Never.

No, no more will I.

But, Glencora, if they believe it, what will they do to him?

Glencora.

Madame Goesler.

I have to tell you this.

The next time Mr Finn comes before the magistrate,

there is every reason to think he will be committed for trial.

And so the question for all of us is what shall be done now?

Well, in the first place,

money must be found to get him the best barristers in London.

His friends will see to that

You may rely on me for any money that is needed, Mr Monk.

- Send round the world for evidence. - What good can come of that?

For example, there is the matter of that key.

He lent it to his landlady.

But why not have it copied beforehand and have itt copied in Prague?

Madam, we must be practical.

I suggest we leave all this about evidence to the lawyers.

One thing more.

- Can we see him? - He has visitors enough, Madame Max

- But has any lady been to see him? - Not to my knowledge.

Then it's time some lady should do so.

If it would comfort him to see us, why should he not have that comfort?

Madam, if you wish to visit Mr Finn in prison,

you should do it through the instrumentality of your husband, the Duke.

It is difficutt. As a member of Her Majesty's Government,

I would rather you did not.

Mr Monk! You will remember at any rate what I said about the money.

If it will help to send to Prague, or anywhere in the world for evidence,

then no cost is too great

I will tell the lawyers. Of course.

Glencora, if they will send nobody to Prague,

then I will go myself.

It will kill her if this goes against him.

Kill her.

My dear, without the law, we are nothing.

If the law demands a trial, then a trial there must be.

Phineas Finn, having regard to all the evidence now before me,

I do hereby commit you for trial

in the Central Criminal Court on a charge of murder.

What happened, Oswald?

Phineas Finn must go to trial before a jury.

For the murder of mr Bonteen.

- Oh, no! - I fear it is so.

There is one small consolation.

'They will bring on the trial as soon as they can.

- They are determined to destroy him. - They are not determined to destroy him.

- Don't be hard on her, Oswald. - It has to go by the evidence.

But it was the Jew who did it, surely!

- It was not Phineas Finn. - Then they'll find him innocent.

- He'll be fairly tried, Laura. - There must be money for his defence.

Oswald has been with his friends, Laura.

- There will be money enough. - What friends?

Whose money? He shall have all mine. He must have it!

- You'll tell the lawyers. - There'll be money enough.

- Whose? - It need not concernes you. There is enough!

- I must see him. - You must not see him.

- Why not I as well as you? - You cannot understand why, Laura.

You must not see him and you will not see him!

- Who will hinder me? - If you put me to it, Laura,

I shall see that you are hindered.

Laura, it will make people think things were true that were said.

What's that to me? I do love him.

I've always loved him.

Violet knows it as well as I do.

I shall love him to the end. He's my life to me.

I'm sorry, Monk. I can't give you a proper game.

Well... I must be going, Phineas.

I see the new books have arrived.

Beecham's Career? Hm. I could never get on with Meredith.

The American Senator. Oh, the old bore is still babbling on.

Good chance to keep up with your reading.

Yes, while it is light I may read, Monk.

When it grows dark and I call for candles,

they say I may only have them if I have a guard to sit with me.

Then you must have guard and candles both.

And submit to being watched, as a child or a madman is watched.

Look here, Monk. During those first few weeks

when I was only being brought before that magistrate,

I could bear this confinement

Have hope. Any day now, I thought...

some new evidence will be found which will get me released.

And now, now that the police are sure that I'm guilty,

they think me a murderer and will send me for trial to the High Court.

Now is the time to show yourself a man.

A man? A man who is to stand calmly, I suppose,

while they put the noose around his neck?

God in his mercy forbid!

- Not in his mercy, in his justice! - I am sure you are innocent.

We all are.

How will it be with me if Lord Fawn keeps on with this story of a coat?

Blundering fool will swear my life away.

They have never yet hanged a man who was innocent, Phineas.

So they would have us believe.

So you must believe!

So be quiet now, Phineas. And rest.

Oh! Adelaide.

- You look very busy, cousin. - Yes, I'm just tidying out my box

- Being reminded of the past. - It's a little tattered.

Yes, when I was 18, it used to be read very often.

Ah, then it must be a love letter.

'I love you with all my heart and beg you to come away with me.

If I am wrong in thinking you love me, I would not for worlds insult you by my presence.

If you love me still, I will ask you to throw aside that fictitious marriage

you were forced into and give yourself to me

whom you should regard as your husband.'

- Poor Mr Palliser. - No, indeed not!

I've not had Planty for an hour out of my heart since I grew to love him.

I wonder if he feels the same for me.

Oh, Adelaide, are you not riding this afternoon?

No, cousin Glenoora. This afternoon I have made a different kind of engagement.

- What kind of engagement? - With Gerard Maule, to marry him!

- To get married this afternoon? - Of course not!

I mean that this afternoon, he has proposed and I have accepted him.

- I'm engaged! - Oh, Adelaide!

- However did you get him to propose? - Well, that's just it.

He wanted to take me out riding as usual,

but I made him take me out walking instead.

It was clear to me as long as I only met him on his horse,

I should never bring him to the point.

But how was it easier once he was a pedestrian?

Because he's too lazy to be a pedestrian for long.

He insisted on sitting down.

I see

- In the park? - In the park.

- In the trees? - In the trees.

- And then? - Precisely.

- Precisely what? - Precisely enough.

No less and no more, cousin Glencora, to oblige him to propose to me.

Hey-ho, well! Well, he's a nice enough man in his way.

But tell me, Adelaide, what are you both going to do about money?

He's promised to look into that. His father might do something.

His father might do almost anything mentionable or unmentionable.

The one thing he can be relied upon not to do is to produce money.

If you ask me, you'll be engaged to Gerard Maule for the next 17 years.

Well, in that case, cousin Glenoora,

I shall just have to take him for another walk in the park.

Chiltern! ls he still in London?

- Yes, Papa. - I see little enough of him.

Yet he stays in this house.

He's very busy, Faiher, arranging for the defence of Mr Finn.

- What's that to do with Chiltern? - He sees about barristers and the money to pay.

Someone else's, I hope. Chiltern has none to waste on a murderer.

Mr Finn is no murderer, Papa.

Then why are they going to all this trouble to try him?

They don't do that unless they're pretty sure, you know.

I've always thought there was something a bit fishy about Finn.

- Too pretty and polite to be true.

It comes from Loughlinter, Papa. Mr Kennedy's dead.

Even my friends doubt me.

I've seen it in their eyes

Erie. Monk

Dolly Longstafls, when he came.

And Chiltern. Even Chiltern.

God!

Sweet Christ, O, God,

God and his lady mother bring me firth from this place of darkness

Sweet lady in the meadow, have pity for me.

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

- We've been with the lawyers. - About Phineas?

- No, not about Phineas. - About your late husbands will.

The will was made out when you first married Mr Kennedy.

Although the man is an absolute wretch, he did make a very sensible will.

It says, of course, you are to have all your own money back.

It also says you are to have Loughlinter

and the use and revenues of all the estates for as long as you shall live.

What can I do with Loughlinter? I came to hate the place.

Except for one little tower.

No, give it back to them.

- You can't do that - Can I not?

Well, then. I shall have more now if he should need it.

I told you before, Laura, there is enough for Finn's defence. Enough!

Madame Goesler, that rich woman from Vienna,

she has seen to that, Laura.

Madame Goesler.

Tell me, Oswald.

Has Madame Goesler been to see him in prison?

No woman has been to see him in prison.

Then, by heaven, I shall go to him now.

- 'They won't let you in. - You may be very sure of that.

And you may be sure I shall gain admittance if I have to grovel at the Governor's feet!

Laura...

Lady Laura, is it really you?

Oh, Phineas, of all my troubles, this, to see you here, is the heaviest.

And of all my oonsolations, to see you here is the greatest.

I did not expect that you would come to me in here.

My father and Chiltern forbade it but I persuaded Barrington.

I gave him no rest till he arranged it.

But I would not let him come up to your room with me.

I could not have spoken to you had he been here, could I?

No, it would not have been the same, Lady Laura.

And indeed, what can be wrong with my coming?

Now I'm a widow, I may do very much as I please.

I wish I knew what to say to you about Mr Kennedy's death.

You need say nothing, Phineas.

Guilt, and there is guillt, must be mine and borne by me.

You have heard of his will?

- He has not injured you about money? - Oh, no, indeed.

I'm a rich woman. Very rich.

Another reason for my remorse, Phineas.

Loughlinter is mine for my lifetime.

But of what use can Loughlinter be to me?

Phineas, you can't really be in danger.

- In the greatest danger, I fancy. - You mean they'll say you're guilty?

The police believe it.

The magistrate musf have believed it to have committed me.

And I have seen men who have known me for a long time...

...and they believe it.

Mr Monk is here very often.

Does he believe it?

He has always told me no but I have never quite trusted him as he said it.

What do I believe, Phineas?

Can you read my thoughts?

I think... I think you really do believe in my innocence.

I can't be sure.

I can't be sure of anything any more.

But your eyes seem to say that you know I could not have done this.

Because I love you, Phineas.

- Good evening, Phineas. - Barlington.

I am sorry, Laura, it is time for us to leave.

You may leave when you wish, Barlington.

- I can take myself home. - Time for us both to leave, Laura.

Good night, old fellow. I'll see you again before long.

Good night, Barrington. Good night, Lady Laura.

- Good night. - I shall never forget your coming here.

How should we either of us forget it?

Come, Laura. Let us make an end of it.

- If l should never see him again! - Of course you will!

Where? When? If they should kill you...!

Laura! You're not helping Phineas!

How should he support himself if you behave like this? Come!

Now, let us be quite clear about this, Mrs Meager.

Mr Emilius lodged with you some time back until after the murder

but you are sure he was back before the murder?

Yes, ma'am, that is quite true.

Now, we know he went to Prague

and that he was back some time before the murder happened.

Yes, ma'am. Back in the best room at six-and-eight a week.

Now, Mrs Meager, I want you to think very carefully about this.

Was there anything at all odd in Mr Emilius's behaviour?

Anything before he went to Prague or after he came back?

Odd?

Anything he may have said.

Something in his room.

Something you may have seen in his room.

Well, ma'am, there was just...

one thing.

When he went away to that foreign part what you said,

- he took his key with him. - Oh?

Which he hadn't got no right,

seeing as how he wasn't paying for his room while he were gone.

- Perhaps he was just forgetful. - That's what he said later.

He wasn't usually forgetful.

Anyways, there was me and the front attic

and everybody else in the house with just the one key between us all!

That's why I remember it so particular.

- So you only had the two keys? - Yes, ma'am.

And Mr Emilius had run off wilh the one,

so there was the whole pack of us fighting over the other until Mr Emilius gets back

and says he's ever so sorry in his best religious voice

but he'd forget and left it in his drawer.

- But he hadn't? - No, ma'am.

In our line, we is obliged to know about their drawers.

So, he musf have had it on him all the time.

Poor Mrs Meager.

What a very difficutt life you must have.

Now, can you remember anything else about Mr Emilius?

Well...

There... Not exactly about him, ma'am.

But there has been some talk about a coat.

- Indeed there has? - Well, ma'am.

My husband, Mr Meager, he's not here often but he does fit in and out.

Well, it just so happened he fitted in on the day before the murder.

And when he fitted in, see, he was wearing this coat.

- What coat? - That coat there's been talk about.

The grey, sporty son of coat

- Have you told this to the police? - No, ma'am.

In our parts, we is not overly keen on talking with the police.

Well, never mind, Mrs Meager.

- What happened to the coat? - It spent the night in my house,

along with Mr Meager, a gallon of porter and a bottle of Dutch gin.

So, Mr Emilius could have borrowed the coat while Mr Meager refreshed himself.

And him none the wiser, fitthy sot!

Where is it now?

Oh, well, that's hard to say, ma'am.

Now the summer's really coming, I pawned it for sure.

But it was definitely in the house on the night of the murder?

Yes, ma'am, I saw it on the sofa before I went to bed.

Now, Mrs Meager, send for your husband.

Find out where he pawned it, redeem it at once, take it to that address.

- Not the police, ma'am, I hope. - No, no.

A nice, kind gentleman who is my solicitor.

And who will show himself to be most grateful.

Mrs Bonteen, dear, have you seen this?

There's been a move to delay the trial.

Delay it? They need not even hold it.

They should hang Phineas Finn tomorrow.

But there is new evidence, something about a ooat.

Phineas Finn's coat They know all about that

No, it's another coat.

But they don't seem to have found it yet.

And the authorities have agreed to this delay?

No... The Lord Chief Justice says

that if such a coat exists and is to be found,

there is plenty of time before the trial is due.

Far too much time before the trial is due.

Oh, why have they been so slow to revenge my darling?

Mr Lovibond, the lawyer, is here, ma'am.

Oh, show him up at once.

- Lady Eustace? - Yes.

- We've found it all out. - You've found what out?

- Am I free? - Yes, ma'am, I think you will be.

Good afternoon, Mrs Bonteen.

You see, if we are to prove bigamy against Mr Emilius,

we must first have the documents to prove the former marriage,

also the woman, to identify Emilius and to prove it was he who contracted with her.

The documents we now have.

They are just as Mr Bonteen said they would be.

Good. on, good.

And what is more,

we have also brought back Madame Mealyus.

english: Mrs Emilius in person.

No!

- Where is she? - We have her safe in private.

I fear this will all cost a little money.

But now I shall be free! He can claim nothing more from me ever.

And all owing to the efforts of my own sweet darling.

Oh, alas, he is no longer here for me to thank him.

Where is Yosef Mealyus?

Mr Emilius is in jail, ma'am, awaiting trial for bigamy.

What is the maximum sentence for bigamy?

I should say five years hard labour.

Oh, you will have to give evidence in person, I fear.

With pleasure.

But if Yosef Mealyus is proved a bigamist,

surely that will help Mr Finn at his trial.

- Indeed? - Help Finn?

Yosef Mealyus had a very strong motive for murder.

Phineas Finn's motive was proved from the start.

But Yosef Mealyus knew that Mr Bonteen would prove him a bigamist

and that he faced a five-year jail sentence!

I mean, it's obvious that Mr Emilius was the mur...

I think we have to remember

that none of the evidence, as to fact, has yet altered in the slightest.

Now, both men had motives, but the facts, the physical facts,

that incriminate Mr Finn and apparently exculpe Mr Emilius

are exactly what they always were.

You would not wish, Lady Eustace, to be married to a murderer?

- I'm not married to him. - But you took him, did you not?

Yes...

I'd be happy to see him hang.

Good afternoon, ladies.

It is better, Lady Eustace, that we should not be together.

But, Mrs Bonteen, dear.

You must leave this house.

Well, I can go, of course.

I just thought it would be more convenient if we...

Well... You know best.

Mrs Bonteen, should you ever need a friend...

There.

- You mean you are going to go to Prague? - Tomorrow.

Since they refuse to delay the trial, there is no time to be lost.

I only hope you can prove something by going.

- The lawyers are very doubtful. - That is because they are lawyers.

They cannot see what is under their noses.

They see that Mr Emilius could not possibly have got in or out of that house.

Unless he had a key. Glencora!

The more I think of it, the more positive I am

that he must've had that key copied in Prague.

He took a key there with him though he denied it to Mrs Meager.

So why would he not have it copied? That's what I would've done in his place.

Marie, you have a criminal mind.

I hope so, Glencora. For I hope to be right

For if I find that Emilius had another key,

then that second coat is more important.

For if he had a key and a grey, sporty overcoat...

Yes! Well, Marie, it's very grand of you to go.

And good luck.

Thank you.

I think, with respect, Mr Prime Minister,

a postponement of Finn's trial might be in order.

- This new evidence... - If it be there, let them find it.

There shall be no postponement. This affair must be settled, and soon.

It certainly must be, Prime Minister, but not with undue haste in procedure.

There has been no undue haste. On the contrary, there has already been undue delay.

There must be no more of it.

This new evidence might have serious bearing.

If every trial was postponed when there was a chance of new evidence,

no trial would ever take place.

A date has been fixed for this one and it must be kept.

Unless some strong legal argument...

That must be all about it for now.

We cannot spend the whole day discussing Phineas Finn.

There are other things who concern us.

We have, as always, money to concern us.

Yes, these import levies of the Chancellor's have proved disastrous.

Everything at the Board of Trade is in complete disorder

because Bonteen is no longer here.

He was the only one of my supporters who understood anything of money.

If you will allow me, Prime Minister, I am prepared to go to the Board

to see what l can do.

You could hardly go there officially.

Unofficially, Duke?

I'd feel closer to the Exchequer there than I would anywhere else.

- I could go there, for a time. - I am well aware of your abilities, Duke.

I don't know that trade will prove to be your strong suit

but I would be most grateful for your help.

- You shall have what I can give. - Thank you.

You realise, gentlemen, that unless something be done,

and be shown to be done, and soon, we may have to go to the country.

Cousin Glencora, Gerard says that if we got married and ate all his horses,

we should have enough meat to live on for a whole year.

Hm?

I have been thinking, Adelaide.

There is only one thing to do if you want to marry before you're both 80.

- What? - Maule Abbey.

You must go and live there in the country. Pull that estate together.

It'll hardly pay Gerards debts

but even his income will extend to rustic, wholesome provisions.

You know, tripe, cffltteflings, and boiled bacon as a treat on Sundays.

But you said Maule Abbey is a wreck.

- It only has half a roof. - That's the half you can live under!

Do you know, cousin Glencora, I think you're right.

- Maule Abbey could be Gerard's making. - You'll have to get his father to agree.

- The estate belongs to him. - Maule Abbey. How grand that sounds!

Thank you, cousin Glencora. You're a real conker. Sorry.

Good of you to come here, Mr Chaffanbras. Very good indeed.

It doesn't do, do you see, for Mr Monk to visit your chambers just now.

The press might suspect some special liaison, or that the case was being arranged.

We know there will be none of that, but your point is taken, Mr Monk.

Now! What can I do for you, gentlemen?

Mr Finn is very anxious to speak with you.

Oh, is he? Why?

For Gods sake, Chaffanbras, you are his defending counsel.

Hate seeing a client before a trial. What good can come of it?

- He wants to tell you his own story. - I don't want to hear his own story.

I go by the evidence, with which I have taken great pains to acquaint mysetf.

- Monk. - What good would his story do me?

Either he would say that he didn't murder the man.

- Which is what he will say. - Which is no evidence whatever.

Or he'll say he did do the murder, which will cripple me altogether.

He won't say that, Mr Chalfanbraas.

There's no knowing what he'll say.

- No point in hearing it. - His manner of saying might help you.

If shall be do, that is because I am unfit for my business.

I go by the evidence. What a client says or even swears proves nothing...

unless he confesses his guilt,

in which case he need hardly waste his money on my services.

However, I shall see him, as he asks it.

Let us say half past ten tomorrow.

The trouble is this, although they have now as good as proved bigamy against Emilius,

that does no more than confirm a motive which we knew about anyway,

hasn't brought anyone nearer to proving that he did this murder.

Or that you did not.

The facts are still against me, then?

Yes, but more circumstance than fact, Mr Finn.

Time, place, possession of that life preserver.

As you know, a jury is always reluctant to convict on circumstance.

I shall make the most of that, you may be sure.

Mr Chalfanbras, there is one special thing I want you to do for me.

I do not desire merely to be found not guilty.

I wish you to make men believe that I am innocent of this crime.

Well, I trust that we may succeed in making 12 men believe it.

I don't care a straw for the 12 men.

It is the world I wish you to convince.

That's a long order, Mr Finn.

I shall think the world well lost if we may only win the jury.

My life will be worth nothing to me unless you can convince the people,

the people, Mr Chalfanbraas, that I am innocent.

Don't you worry about the people, Mr Finn,

I assure you, they ain't worth it.

You and I, we must settle for the jury.

If we can.

Put up Phineas Finn!

Put up Phineas Finn.

We should be more comfortable up on the bench with the Lord Chief Justice.

So we would, my dear, if we were well enough in with him to get invited.

Though they say the stink even gets as far as that,

the stink being no respect of judges.

Oh, look, Oswald. Poor Phineas!

Prisoner at the bar, if you wish to object to the persons

whose names I am about to call to form the jury to try you,

you must do so as they severally come to the book to be sworm.

Phineas Finn, you stand charged before this Central Criminal Court

with committing a grievous felony

against the law and decree of our sovereign lady, the Queen,

that is to say, murder,

in that you, at the time and place designated in this charge,

did witfully and with malice aforethought murder by beefing

one John Grimes Bonteen

to the great scandal of our sovereign lady, the Queen, her crown and dignity.

But how say you, Phineas Finn, are you guilty or not guilty

of the felony whereof you stand charged?

I am not guilty...upon my honor.

Then your plea shall so be entered.

And so, gentlemen of the jury,

what the prosecution witnesses will prove to you is this,

that Mr Finn had a longstanding quarrel with Mr Bonteen,

who was barling his way to office.

And that Mr Finn and Mr Bonteen had a violent altercation

on the night of the murder in the Bear Garden club,

and that Mr Finn left the club very shortly after Mr Bonteen,

and that he was carrying a loaded cudgel,

and that although Mr Finn turned off

and apparently took a route different from Mr Bonteen's,

he could very easily have doubled back on his tracks

and caught Mr Bonteen as he was going through a passage known as Tumble Lane.

Now, Mr Monk, you were with the accused man, Phineas Finn,

when he qurarrelled with mr. Bonteen in the anteroom of the Bear Garden.

- Yes. - In what state was Mr Finn then?

- He was bitterly angry. - Violently angry, Mr Monk?

I said 'bitterly angry', Sir Gregory.

And what was the outcome of that quarrel?

It was interrupted by the arrival of His Royal Highness.

And very shortly afterwards, both Mr Finn and Mr Bonteen left the club.

Well, yes, but Mr Finn left when he did only because I persuaded him to.

Kindly confine yourself to answering my questions, mr Monk.

Now, once again, Mr Finn and Mr Bonteen

were forced to stop quarrelling by the arrival of His Royal Highness?

Yes-

Whereupon Mr Bonteen took up his hat and his cane

and Mr Finn took up his hat and his coat and his bludgeon,

and both men left the club.

Mr Monk, why did Mr Finn leave the Bear Garden club?

Because I persuaded him to, wilh the help of Mr Erie.

We were afraid there might be a disagreeable scene

in the presence of His Royal Highness.

You persuaded him to leave. Had you not done so, he would have stayed.

- Yes. - It is therefore untrue to say

that Mr Finn deliberately followed Mr Bonteen.

It is. Mr Finn left when he did only at my suggestion.

Thank you, Mr Monk.

Now, then, you have testified during your examination-in-chief

that Mr Finn was very angry as a result of this quarrel.

In which case, Mr Monk, was it prudent to let him walk home alone?

I would have accompanied him if I'd thought it was necessarry.

By the time Mr Finn reached the doors of the club, he was very much cooler

and in total control of himself.

I see. And then what happened?

- M Bonteen emerged. - Which none of you had expected.

None of us had given any thought to the departure of Mr Bonteen.

Which was as fortuitous as that of Mr Finn,

so that this meeting at the doors of the club was pure coincidence.

- How did the two men react? - They sensibly ignored each other.

And Mr Bonteen went his way. What then?

Mr Finn took out his life preserver

and gave a humorous imitation of clubbing a man.

- Humorous, Mr Monk? - Humorous, Mr Chaffanbras.

- And then, Mr Monk? - He laughed heartily,

made some joke about the performance, put away his life preserver and went off.

- In the same direction as Mr Bonteen? - Yes

- But only at first - Then he did not follow Mr Bonteen?

No, Mr Finn took the left-hand folk

whereas Mr Bonteen continued down the street towards the passage.

- You saw all his? - We did.

- How long did you watch? - Until Mr Finn was well out of sight

and Mr Bonteen was approaching the passage.

And their courses were diverging further with every second. Thank you.

Mr Monk, let us get one thing quite plain.

Whatever Mr Finn's reasons may or may not have been

for departing when he did,

he did absolutely leave the club shortly after Mr Bonteen?

He did, sir.

So, in that sense, at least he was following Mr Bonteen.

He was, sir.

And just before he followed him, he produced and brandished a cudgel?

He took out his life preserver and swung it about as a joke.

Or as you yourself said in answer to my learned friend,

he gave an imitation of clubbing a man.

Not a joke in the best of taste, Mr Monk.

- A joke, nevertheless. - An Irish joke, no doubt.

Let us hope for Mr Finn's sake the jury find it funny.

Thank you, Mr Monk.

Call Superintendent Worth.

Superintendent Worth, we have been told

that Mr Bonteen walked straight from the steps of the club

down the main street and so into the passage where he was found dead.

Could Mr Finn, taking the route which he did

and leaving when he did,

have caught Mr Bonteen while he was still in that passage?

Yes, sir, we have checked it 20 times.

Mr Finn was observed taking a turn to the left.

The members of the club watching him went indoors 30 seconds aftewards

If Mr Finn had then run out into the main street

and down to the passage, he would certainly have caught Mr Bonteen.

Now, as to Lord Fawn.

He, our witnesses agree,

left the club just as Mr Finn was taking his turn off to the left.

If Mr Finn had come back into the main street as and when you suggest,

would he have been seen by Lord Fawn?

Almost certainly.

We shall, of course, be hearing Lord Fawn's own account very shortly.

Meanwhile, we're hearing Superintendent Worth's account,

the account of a man who was not present

but has since made measurements and calculations.

Now, for those to be correct, he must have known the speed

at which those concerned were walking.

- Right? - As you say, sir.

Well, then, how fast was Mr Bonteen walking?

If Mr Bonteen was walking at a normal...

I want an answer, sir, not an hypothesis!

The answer is, you don't know!

You weren't there, were you?

The normal walking pace of a man of Mr Bonteen's age and build.

Mr Bonteen fiddlesticks. It was 1 am. The man may have been tired.

Or drunk, for all we know. Or too hot or too cold.

Or eager to see his wife.

Or not eager to see his wife.

Or eager to see somebody else's wife!

Mr Chaffanbras!

Pray stick with the point.

The point, my Lord, is this.

Superintendent Worth can't tell us what happened.

He can only tell us what might have happened

if Mr Bonteen had been walking at a normal pace.

Ain't that so, Superintendent?

- Yes, sir, it is. - Thank you for being so honest.

Now I'm going to ask you to be more honest still.

I'm going to ask you to admit that Mr Bonteen could have been pursued and caught

by any man who was lurking in that area.

- Yes or no? - Yes.

Then why pick on poor Mr Finn?

Because we'd received information which indicated most strongly

that Mr Bonteen had indeed been pursued by Mr Finn.

Information from Lord Fawn?

Well, we shall soon hear His Lordship lell the tale for himself.

I saw a figure, sir, which hurried out of the fork opposite me,

turned down the main street and then ran on toward the passage at Tumble Lane.

And how was the figure dressed?

In a silk hat and a grey overcoat.

And dark trousers underneath the coat.

- Evening trousers? - Oh...

- I cannot be sure as to that. - The coat, you're sure it was grey?

Yes..

The figure passed under a street lamp.

And is this the coat, my Lord?

It certainly resembles it in cut and in colour.

This coat, gentlemen, is certified by Superintendent Worth

to be the one he found in the chambers of the accused,

the one the accused admitted he wore on the night of the murder.

That, my Lord, is not in dispute.

Lord Fawn. Did you see the figure's face?

No, the coat collar was turned up.

So that although the figure passed under a street lamp,

- you could not identify him. - No.

But later, when the police showed you the coat which we have just seen,

you were able to tell them that it resembled that which you saw on the figure.

Yes-

And this resemblance of coats is all that you can swear to

by way of identification?

- It is. - Now, my Lord.

Do you recognise this coat?

Come, Lord Fawn.

Well...

- It's grey. - Lord Fawn, do you recognise this coat?

This one too is similar to the one worn by the running figure.

In cut and in colour?

And it could have been the one you saw under the lamp.

I suppose so.

But this coat, gentlemen of the jury,

is not the one worn on the night of the killing, or not by Mr Finn.

This coat has already been exhibited.

Of this one, I may perchance have more to say later.

Meanwhile, let me merely observe

there must be hundreds of grey coats of sporting cut in London.

I myself passed four on my way to court this morning.

Lord Fawn, you have said in answer to my learned friend

that you could not identify the running figure at the time you saw him.

No, no more I could.

But, Lord Fawn, when you saw this figure under the gas lamp,

was not your curiosity aroused?

Your alarm, even?

After all, figures careering along the street at one o'clock in the morning

are not usually pursuing pats of virtue.

I was surprised.

And suspicious at first.

But, you see, then I realised that the figure was...

Well...

It was that of a gemleman, so I ceased to trouble myself.

Oh, it was a gentleman, was it?

How did you know it was a gentleman when you couldn't even see his face?

I simply thought that I had seen the figure somewhere before.

- At social gatherings? - Yes

At political gatherings, Lord Fawn?

I cannot be sure as to that.

But you were so far reassured by something in the figure's appearance

that you ceased, as you say, to trouble yourself.

Yes-

But you still did not know who it was.

Well... The figure was not entirely strange to me.

And yet I just could not place it.

Let me suggest to you that the style

was that of a man with whom you were acquainted

but not very well-acquainted.

- That is why the name did not come. - Yes, I suppose that's it.

It was the style of a man you'd seen about the place from time to time.

Yes, if you like.

The same sort of times and places you would have seen, say, Phineas Finn?

- My Lord, I must object! - If Your Lordship pleases,

I will withdraw that question and put this one instead.

Lord Fawn, we know that you could not name or identify

this figure you saw under the gas lamp.

But did you or did you not

recognise it as having the style of a man

who frequented the same social circles as yourself?

I did so recognise it.

And this, of course, was before they showed you Mr Finn's coat,

let alone told you whose it was.

I fear it's going against him.

But Barrington said there was no evidence produced

- that wasn't purely circumstantial. - That is true, Laura.

- But there is so much of it. - If the judge directs them lightly...

No, my dear, the judge can only suggest to the jury how to interpret the evidence.

Sir Gregory Grogram can do that quite as powerfully.

- So can Mr Chaffanbras. - Mr Chaffanbras will have his turn.

Is there nothing more that we can do, Oswald?

All that money can do is being done, Laura.

I can bear witness as to his character.

The witness as to character have long since been chosen.

And, of course, I am not to be among them.

Because I am not respectable.

Love, Oswald. ls there nothing love can do?

Love, Laura... had best hold its tongue!

Unless it be to pray.