pushing of newspaper reporters had been unable to glean
further information from the police; no one doubted, however, but that
the man in charge, who gave his name as George Higgins, had killed the
bookmaker for purposes of robbery. The inquest had been fixed for the
Tuesday after the murder.

"Lord Arthur had been obliged to stay in York a few days, as his
evidence would be needed. That fact gave the case, perhaps, a certain
amount of interest as far as York and London 'society' were concerned.
Charles Lavender, moreover, was well known on the turf; but no bombshell
exploding beneath the walls of the ancient cathedral city could more
have astonished its inhabitants than the news which, at about five in
the afternoon on the day of the inquest, spread like wildfire throughout
the town. That news was that the inquest had concluded at three o'clock
with a verdict of 'Wilful murder against some person or persons
unknown,' and that two hours later the police had arrested Lord Arthur
Skelmerton at his private residence, 'The Elms,' and charged him on a
warrant with the murder of Charles Lavender, the bookmaker."

CHAPTER VIII

THE CAPITAL CHARGE

"The police, it appears, instinctively feeling that some mystery lurked
round the death of the bookmaker and his supposed murderer's quiet
protestations of innocence, had taken a very considerable amount of
trouble in collecting all the evidence they could for the inquest which
might throw some light upon Charles Lavender's life, previous to his
tragic end. Thus it was that a very large array of witnesses was brought
before the coroner, chief among whom was, of course, Lord Arthur
Skelmerton.

"The first witnesses called were the two constables, who deposed that,
just as the church clocks in the neighbourhood were striking eleven,
they had heard the cries for help, had ridden to the spot whence the
sounds proceeded, and had found the prisoner in the tight grasp of Lord
Arthur Skelmerton, who at once accused the man of murder, and gave him
in charge. Both constables gave the same version of the incident, and
both were positive as to the time when it occurred.

"Medical evidence went to prove that the deceased had been stabbed from
behind between the shoulder-blades whilst he was walking, that the wound
was inflicted by a large hunting knife, which was produced, and which
had been left sticking in the wound.

"Lord Arthur Skelmerton was then called and substantially rep