"And, monsieur," she said, "will you tell me, is it true that the
stab wound which killed Mr. Marsh was in the shoulder on the side
next to the wall?"
"Yes," said the judge, "that is true."
The prosecutor, urged by Thompson, now made a verbal objection.
The case was practically completed. The incident going on in the
court-room followed no definite legal procedure and could not be
permitted to proceed. The judge stopped him.
"Sit down," he said. He did not offer any explanation or
comment. He merely silenced the man and returned to the girl
standing eagerly on the step before the bench.
"The wound was in the base of the man's neck at the top of the
left shoulder on the side next to the wall," he said. "But what
has this fact to do with the case?"
"Oh, monsieur," she cried, "it has everything to do with it. If
the assassin who slipped along the wall had carried the knife in
his right hand, the wound would have been on the right side of
the dead man's neck. But if, monsieur, the assassin carried the
knife in his left hand, then the wound would be where it is, on
the left side. That made me believe, at first, that the assassin
had only one arm - had lost his right arm - and must use the
other; then, a little later, I understood .
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