denied. The girl interested me far more than the Frenchman. Though of
the simple, rosy-cheeked type of German, she had an air of canniness and
subtlety that was at variance with her naive effect. I soon concluded
she was far more clever than most people thought, and Parmalee's
whispered words showed that he thought so too.

"Something doing in the case of Dutch Elsa, eh?" he said; "she and
Johnny Frenchy have cooked up something between them."

"Nothing of any importance, I fancy," I returned, for Miss Lloyd's
swoon seemed to me a surrender, and I had little hope now of any other
direction in which to look.

But I resumed my attention to the coroner's inquiries of Mr. Randolph.

In answer to a few formal questions, he stated that he had been Mr.
Crawford's legal adviser for many years, and had entire charge of all
such matters as required legal attention.

"Did you draw up the late Mr. Crawford's will?" asked the coroner.

"Yes; after the death of his wife--about twelve years ago."

"And what were the terms of that will?"

"Except for some minor bequests, the bulk of his fortune was bequeathed
to Miss Florence Lloyd."

"Have you changed that will in any way, or drawn a later one?"

"No."

It was by the merest chance that I was looking at Gregory Hall, as the
lawyer gave this answer.

It required no fine perception to understand the look of relief and
delight that fairly flooded his countenance. To be sure, it was quickly
suppressed, and his former mask of indifference and preoccupation
assumed, but I knew as well as if he had put it into words, that he had
trembled lest Miss Lloyd had been disinherited before her uncle had met
his death in the night.

This gave me many new thoughts, but before I could formulate them, I
heard the coroner going an with his questions.

"Did Mr. Crawford visit you last evening?"

"Yes; he was at my house for perhaps half an hour or more between eight
and nine o'clock."

"Did he refer to the subject of changing his will?"

"He did. That was his errand. He distinctly stated his intention of
making a new will, and asked me to come to his office this morning and
draw up the instrument."

"But as that cannot now be done, the will in favor of Miss Lloyd still
stands?"

"It does," said Mr. Randolph, "and I am glad of it. Miss Lloyd has been
brought up to look upon this inheritance as her own, and while I
would have used no undue emphasis, I should have tried to dissuade Mr.