Some of it no doubt was
true; but he was giving it, both truth and falsehood, with a
purpose. What the purpose was Antony did not know as yet; to
shield Mark, to shield himself, even to betray Mark it might be
any of these. But since his evidence was given for his own ends,
it was impossible that it could be treated as the evidence of an
impartial and trustworthy onlooker. Such, for instance, as Elsie
appeared to be.
Elsie's evidence, however, seemed to settle the point. Mark had
gone into the office to see his brother; Elsie had heard them
both talking; and then Antony and Cayley had found the body of
Robert .... and the Inspector was going to drag the pond.
But certainly Elsie's evidence did not prove anything more than
the mere presence of Mark in the room. "It's my turn now; you
wait." That was not an immediate threat;--it was a threat for
the future. If Mark had shot his brother immediately afterwards
it must have been an accident, the result of a struggle, say,
provoked by that "nasty-like" tone of voice. Nobody would say
"You wait" to a man who was just going to be shot.
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