H庄园的午餐48

III

The court had adjourned¹ and sat again. There had been some hours of expert medical testimony².

Dr. Alan Garcia, the distinguished³ analyst⁴, full of learned terms, spoke⁵ with gusto of thestomach contents: Bread, fish paste, tea, presence of morphia…more learned terms and variousdecimal points. Amount taken by the deceased estimated to be about four grains. Fatal dose couldbe as low as one grain.

Sir Edwin rose, still bland⁶.

“I should like to get it quite clear. You found in the stomach nothing but bread, butter, fishpaste, tea and morphia. There were no other foodstuffs⁷?”

“None.”

“That is to say, the deceased had eaten nothing but sandwiches and tea for some considerabletime?”

“That is so.”

“Was there anything to show in what particular vehicle the morphia had been administered?”

“I don’t quite understand.”

“I will simplify that question. The morphia could have been taken in the fish paste, or in thebread, or in the butter on the bread, or in the tea, or in the milk that had been added to the tea?”

“Certainly.”

“There was no special evidence that the morphia was in the fish paste rather than in any of theother mediums?”

“No.”

“And, in fact, the morphia might have been taken separately—that is to say, not in any vehicleat all? It could have been simply swallowed in its tablet form?”

“That is so, of course.”

“Sir Edwin sat down.

Sir Samuel re-examined.

“Nevertheless, you are of the opinion that, however the morphia was taken, it was taken at thesame time as the other food and drink?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

 

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