At any rate, he was resolved to have a free hand to deal with the case, and most certainly he was not going to allow this noxious young fellow to hamper his freedom of action and final decision.
"Your evidence seems to me of much too great importance to be given at the inquest.

It must be reserved for the trial," he said in an impressive tone.

"But if it gets abroad that you have seen what you have told me, the criminal will be prepared to upset your evidence; and it will probably become quite worthless.

You must not breathe a word about what you saw to a soul till we have your evidence supported beyond all possibility of its being refuted.

Do you understand ?" For a moment William Roper looked disappointed.