I want to stay home.
I done nothing.'
"That's all right, Ben,' said Colonel Julyan.
'No one's going to put you in the asylum.
Are you quite sure you've never seen this man before?'
'No,' said Ben.
'I've never seen 'un.'
'You remember Mrs de Winter, don't you?' said Colonel Julyan.
Ben glanced doubtfully towards me.
'No,' said Colonel Julyan gently, 'not this lady.
The other lady, who used to go to the cottage.'
'Eh?' said Ben.
'You remember the lady who had the boat?'
Ben blinked his eyes.
'She's gone,' he said.
'Yes, we know that,' said Colonel Julyan.
'She used to sail the boat, didn't she?
Were you on the beach when she sailed the boat the last time?
One evening, over twelve months ago.
When she didn't come back again?'
Ben twisted his sou'wester.
He glanced at Frank, and then at Maxim.
'Eh?' he said.
'You were there, weren't you?' said Favell, leaning forward.
'You saw Mrs de Winter come down to the cottage, and presently you saw Mr de Winter too.
He went into the cottage after her.
What happened then?
Go on.
What happened?'
Ben shrank back against the wall.
'I seen nothing,' he said.
'I want to stay home.
I'm not going to the asylum.
I never seen you.
Never before.
I never seen you and she in the woods.' He began to blubber like a child.
'You crazy little rat,' said Favell slowly, 'you bloody crazy little rat.'
Ben was wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his coat.
'Your witness does not seem to have helped you,' said Colonel Julyan.
'The performance has been rather a waste of time, hasn't it?
Do you want to ask him anything else?'
'It's a plot,' shouted Favell.
'A plot against me.
You're all in it, every one of you.
Someone's paid this half-wit, I tell you.
Paid him to tell his string of dirty lies.'
'I think Ben might be allowed to go home,' said Colonel Julyan.
'All right, Ben,' said Maxim.
'Robert shall take you back.
And no one will put you in the asylum, don't be afraid.