y, oppressive
atmosphere of the place and, knowing that the room had been long closed,
wondered that Mr. Ashton had not opened the windows. I suppose it was
because his long stay in the East had rendered him sensitive to our cold
English weather."

"After you left Mr. Ashton's room, what did you do?"

"I retired to my own room, partially undressed, and again threw myself
upon the bed."

"Did you sleep?"

"No. I could not."

"When did you again leave your room?"

"About five o'clock. I had been thinking all night about leaving the
house. I felt that, after the scene the night before with Mr. Ashton, I
could not endure another meeting with him. I got up, put on a walking
suit and boots, and, throwing a few things into a satchel, stole quietly
down stairs, opened the front door and went out."

"Where did you go?"

"I--I left the porch, and set out across the lawns, taking a short cut
to the main road to the town."

I observed that Miss Temple was showing a greater and greater appearance
of distress as the magistrate pursued inexorably the line of questioning
that would lead her to the disclosures which I knew she feared to make.
Her face, white and drawn, twitched pathetically under the stress of her
emotions. She spoke in a low, penetrating voice, little more than a
whisper, yet so silent was the court-room that what she said was audible
to its furthermost corner. As I gazed at her in silent pity, I heard the
Magistrate ask the next question.

"How far did you go?"

"I went--I--I think it must have been about thirty yards--as far as the
corner of the house."

"The corner of the west wing?"

"Yes." Her voice was growing more and more faint.

"Why did you not go further? What caused you to stop?"

"I--I saw somebody upon the roof of the porch."

"Was it light?"

"There was a faint light in the sky, of early dawn. I walked over toward
the path, and looked up at the porch roof."

"What did you see?"

"I saw someone get out of the window from the hall, on to the roof.
I--I--They walked over to Mr. Ashton's window and seemed to be trying to
open it."

"Who was it?" The crucial question of all that had been asked her came
like the snapping of a lash, and, as she comprehended it, her face
became flushed, then ghastly pale.

"I--I--must I answer that question?"

"You must."

"But--I--I cannot!" she burst into sobs, and buried her face in her
hands. I feared that she was going to faint.

The Magis