f the case are as follows:

'The deceased, Miss Ann Lewis, was a maiden lady, living at
Porthstone, in Mynyddshire, a quiet little seaside place about twenty
miles from the county town, Abertaff.

'Her only surviving relative was a nephew, John Lewis, who had been
for a considerable time in Australia, but, having made some money,
returned to England, and arrived at Porthstone on the evening of the
first of June.

'The accused, Eleanor Margaret Owen, is an orphan, her father, the
late Rector of Porthstone having died two years ago.'

('Poor old Owen! I remember him well,' murmured the barrister. 'It's
well for the poor old chap that he is gone.')

'Immediately on her father's death she went to reside with Miss Lewis,
with whom her father and herself had been on friendly terms, in the
capacity of a paid companion.

'She was paid L24 a year, and had no other means of support; but
Rebecca, a servant in the house, will say that she has heard Miss
Lewis promise to remember the accused in her will.

'Deceased was rather eccentric in money matters, and invested a large
portion of her savings in valuable jewels. No one ever saw the
collection; but William Williams, a jeweller, of Abertaff, will swear
that he supplied deceased with something like a thousand pounds' worth
of jewels annually for several years past.

'It will be seen below that these jewels have entirely disappeared
since the night of the murder.

'Counsel will observe that a motive is here suggested for the crime.

'On the night of the first of June last Mr. Lewis, deceased's nephew,
left the house about 10 o'clock and did not return that night.

'Shortly after he was gone deceased was heard to retire by the
servants. These are four in number, and consist of a butler or general
man, cook, housemaid, and parlourmaid.

'The three women servants went to rest at a quarter past ten, and the
butler at half-past.

'All this time prisoner was downstairs in the drawing-room, where she
had spent the evening with deceased and Mr. Lewis.

'About eleven the butler thinks he heard her come upstairs to her
bedroom, which adjoined deceased's, with a door of communication
between. This door was never locked or bolted.

'An hour afterwards Rebecca, the parlourmaid, woke from sleep, and
heard a stifled groan somewhere below. Apparently it proceeded from
Miss Lewis's room. She did not waken the housemaid, who sleeps in the
same room. She attributed the sound at the