If she could tell him of having seen any such person, and closely enough to be able to give a description of this person's appearance, then she might prove to be his prime witness, after all.

But she could not satisfy him on this point.

She had been on her way out, and was too busy searching in her bag for her umbrella check to notice whether there were people about her or not.

She had not found it when the great shout came.
"And then ?" Oh, then she was so frightened and so shocked that everything swam before her eyes and she nearly fell! Her heart was not a strong one and sometimes missed a beat or two, and she thought it must have done so then, for when her head steadied again, she found herself clinging to the balustrade of the great staircase.
"Then you have nothing whatever to add to what the others have told ?" Her "no," if a shaky one, was decisive, and seeing no reason for detaining her further, he gave her permission to depart.
Disturbed in his calculations, but not disheartened, Mr.Gryce next proceeded to interrogate the door-man at this end of the building.

From his position, facing as he did the approach from the small staircase, he should be able to say, if the old lady could not, whether anyone had crossed the open strip of court toward which she had been advancing.