Arthur Crinston looked at Judge Markham.

"Answer the question," said Perry Mason.

Arthur Crinston blurted: "You don't want to have me answer that question."

Judge Markham banged with his gavel on the desk.

"Is there any objection, Mr. Drumm?" he asked.

The Deputy District Attorney shook his head smilingly. "None whatever," he said. "Let the witness answer the question."

"Answer the question," said Judge Markham.

Crinston fidgeted.

"Your Honor," he blurted, "it isn't to the advantage of the defendant, Frances Celane, that I should testify to what was said, and Perry Mason has reason to know that. I don't know what his idea is in asking any such question…"

The gavel of Judge Markham banged upon the desk.

"The witness," he said, in tones of icy frigidity, "will confine his comments to the answers of such questions as may be asked of him. The witness certainly should know that any such statement coming in court, particularly in a trial of this nature, is a contempt of court. The jury are admonished to disregard that statement, and are admonished to disregard any statements of the witnesses except those which are elicited as a part of the testimony. Mr. Crinston, you will answer that question or be held in contempt of court."

"We talked," said Crinston in a low voice, "about an attempt that had been made to blackmail Miss Celane."

A grin of triumph suffused Claude Drumm's face.

"An attempt at blackmail, made by the housekeeper. Mrs. Mayfield?" asked Perry Mason.

The grin faded from Claude Drumm's face. He jumped to his feet. "Your Honor," he said, "that is objected to as incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial, leading and suggestive. Counsel well knows that Mrs. Mayfield is an important witness for the prosecution in this case, and this is an attempt to discredit her…"

"Leading questions are permitted upon crossexamination," said Judge Markham. "You did not object when Counsel asked the witness as to what the conversation consisted of, and since this is crossexamination, I am going to permit the question."

Claude Drumm slowly sat down.

Crinston squirmed uncomfortably in the chair.

"Mrs. Mayfield's name was not mentioned," he said at length, in a low voice.

"You're certain of that?" asked Perry Mason.

"Well," said Crinston, "it might have been mentioned as a possibility."

"Oh," said Perry Mason, "so it was mentioned as a possibility? Is that right?"

"It might have been," said Crinston.

Perry Mason abruptly shifted his attack.

"Edward Norton had secured rather a large sum of money during the day of October twentythird in one thousand dollar bills, had he not, Mr. Crinston?"

"So I understand," said Crinston, surlily.

"You didn't secure that money for him?"

"No, sir."

"Did you go to any of the banks during that day in which the firm of Crinston & Norton had an account?"

Arthur Crinston scowled thoughtfully.

"Yes," he said, "I did."

"Which bank?"

"The Wheeler's Trust and Savings Bank."

"Whom did you talk with there?"

Suddenly Crinston's face changed color.

"I would prefer," he said, "not to answer that question." Claude Drumm jumped to his feet.

"The question is objected to," he said, "as incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial, and not proper crossexamination."

Perry Mason smiled, a slow, drawling smile.

"Your Honor," he drawled, "if I may present a brief argument?"

"Very well," said Judge Markham.

"This witness has testified on direct examination that he was a surviving partner of Crinston & Norton. I let that question go in, although it probably calls for a conclusion of the witness. But I have the right to crossexamine him as to his activities as a copartner, and the reasons upon which that conclusion was founded."

"Not at a remote time," said Judge Markham.

"No, sir," said Perry Mason. "That is why I am confining the question to the date of October twentythird—the day of the death."

Judge Markham stared at Perry Mason with eyes that were suddenly hard and wary.

Mason returned the gaze, his eyes wide with candor.

Claude Drumm was on his feet.

"The partnership affairs have nothing whatever to do with it," he said.

"But," said Judge Markham, "you, yourself, qualified him as a member of a partnership."

"But only for the purpose of showing the intimacy of his acquaintance, Your Honor."

Judge Markham shook his head.

"I am not convinced," he said, "that the question is proper crossexamination, but in a case of this nature I am going to err, if at all, on the side of the defendants. The witness will answer the question."

"Answer the question, Mr. Crinston," said Perry Mason. "Whom did you talk with?"

"With Mr. Sherman, the president."

"And what did you talk with him about?"

"About the partnership business."

"You talked with him about meeting the indebtedness of approximately nine hundred thousand dollars which the partnership had with that bank, did you not; an indebtedness which, as I understand the facts, was evidenced by notes which had been signed by you as an individual alone, isn't that right?"

"No sir, that is not right. Those notes were partnership notes, signed by Crinston & Norton."

"That is, signed by the partnership name of Crinston & Norton, per Arthur Crinston. Isn't that right?"

"I think that is right," said Arthur Crinston. "The main business of the partnership, as far as banking activities were concerned, was transacted by me; that is, I signed the partnership name to notes, although in a majority of instances the checks were signed by both of us. No, I'll amend that statement. I guess that the Wheeler's Trust and Savings Bank notes were signed with the partnership name per myself, and that checks were drawn out in the same way."

"You went out to Mr. Norton's house to see him about the maturity of those notes, did you not?"

"That is correct."

"Then," said Perry Mason, "how did it happen that you talked about the blackmailing of Frances Celane by the housekeeper?"

"I didn't say it was by the housekeeper," snapped Arthur Crinston. "I said that her name was mentioned as a possibility."

"I see," said Perry Mason. "My mistake. Go ahead and answer the question."

"Because," said Crinston, "the business matter relating to those notes occupied but a few minutes of our discussion. The question of his niece's being blackmailed weighed very heavily on Mr. Norton's mind, and he insisted upon postponing all further business discussion in order to ask my advice about that."

"And why did he say she was being blackmailed?" asked Perry Mason.

"He thought that she was being blackmailed over something she had done."

"Naturally," said Perry Mason. "Did he mention what it was?"

"No, I don't think he did."

"Did he mention what it might have been?"

"He mentioned that she had an ungovernable temper," said Crinston suddenly, and then bit his lip and said: "Wait a minute, I'll withdraw that. I don't think he said that. That was my mistake."

"Your mistake," asked Mason, "or are you trying to protect the defendant, Frances Celane?"

Crinston's face purpled.

"I'm trying to protect her a lot better than you are!" he roared.

Judge Markham's gavel banged upon his desk.

"Mr. Crinston," he said, "the court cautioned you once before. The court now pronounces you in contempt of court, and assesses a fine of one hundred dollars for contempt of court."

Crinston, his face purple, bowed his head.

"Proceed with the case," said Judge Markham.

"Was anything else discussed by you and Mr. Norton, save the matter of indebtedness to the bank, the partnership affairs, and the possibility that his niece was being blackmailed?"

"No, sir," said Arthur Crinston, evidently with relief that the question was no more searching as to the possibilities of the blackmail.