ery appearance of
being capable of it.

Yet her face was full of contradictions. The dark eyes were haughty,
even imperious; but the red, curved mouth had a tender expression, and
the chin, though firm and decided-looking, yet gave an impression of
gentleness.

On the whole, she fascinated me by the very mystery of her charm, and I
found my eyes involuntarily returning again and again to that beautiful
face.

She was dressed in a black, trailing gown of material which I think is
called China crepe. It fell around her in soft waving folds and lay in
little billows on the floor. Her dark hair was dressed high on her head,
and seemed to form a sort of crown which well suited her regal type. She
held her head high, and the uplift of her chin seemed to be a natural
characteristic.

Good birth and breeding spoke in every phase of her personality, and in
her every movement and gesture. I remembered Parmalee's hint of unworthy
ancestors, and cast it aside as impossible of belief. She spoke seldom,
but occasionally turned to the lady at her side with a few murmured
words that were indubitably those of comfort or encouragement.

Her companion, a gray-haired, elderly lady, was, of course, Mrs. Pierce.
She was trembling with the excitement of the occasion, and seemed to
depend on Florence Lloyd's strong personality and affectionate sympathy
to keep her from utter collapse.

Mrs. Pierce was of the old school of gentlewomen. Her quiet, black gown
with its crepe trimmings, gave, even to my masculine eye an effect of
correct and fashionable, yet quiet and unostentatious mourning garb.

She had what seemed to me a puzzling face. It did not suggest strength
of character, for the soft old cheeks and quivering lips indicated no
strong self-control, and yet from her sharp, dark eyes she now and
again darted glances that were unmistakably those of a keen and positive
personality.

I concluded that hers was a strong nature, but shaken to its foundation
by the present tragedy. There was, without doubt, a great affection
existing between her and Miss Lloyd, and yet I felt that they were not
in each other's complete confidence.

Though, for that matter, I felt intuitively that few people possessed
the complete confidence of Florence Lloyd. Surely she was a wonderful
creature, and as I again allowed myself to gaze on her beautiful face I
was equally convinced of the possibility of her committing a crime and
the improbability of her do