"One moment," he said. "You say you have not been arrested for exceeding the speed law for several years. Have you ever been stopped by a policeman?"
"I object, Your Honor, on the ground of irrelevancy."
The judge said to O'Bannon, "What is the purpose of the question?"
"Credibility, Your Honor. I wish to show that the defendant is not a competent witness as to her own speed."
The judge locked his fingers together, with his elbows on the arms of his chair, and took a ruminative half spin.
"The fact that she was once stopped by the police will not determine that. She might have been violating some other ordinance."
"I will show, if Your Honor permits it, that it was for speeding that she was stopped."
Eventually the question was admitted; and Lydia, testifying more and more reluctantly, more and more aware that the impression she was making was bad, was forced to testify that in the autumn Drummond himself had stopped her. Asked what he had said to her, she answered scornfully that she didn't remember.
"Did he say: 'What do you think this is--a race track?'"
"Did he warn you that if you continued to drive so fast he would arrest you?"
If hate could kill, the district attorney would have been struck down by her glance.
"You don't remember any of the conversation that took place between you?"
"And you cannot explain why a traffic officer stopped you and let you go without even a warning?"
"Would it refresh your memory, Miss Thorne, to look at this bracelet which I hold in my hand?"
"I protest, Your Honor!" shouted Wiley, but a second too late. Lydia had seen the bracelet and shrunk from it--with a quick gesture of repugnance.
[Illustration: LYDIA HAD SEEN THE BRACELET AND SHRUNK FROM IT.]
The line of inquiry was not permitted, the bracelet was not put in evidence, the question was ordered stricken from the records; but the total effect of her testimony was to leave in the minds of the jurors the impression that she was perfectly capable of the conduct which the prosecution attributed to her. Wiley detained her a few moments for redirect examination in the hope of regaining the dove, but in vain.
Miss Bennett was put on the stand to testify to Lydia's habitual prudence as a driver; Governor Albee testified to her excellent record; half a dozen other friends were persuasive, but could not undo the harm she had done her own case.