rd, the dead man's
brother. After looking in turn at these two, and glancing for a moment
at Philip Crawford's son, who sat by his side, she said, in a lower
voice than she had before used,

"He said he would change his will, and leave none of his fortune to me."

"His will, then, has been made in your favor?"

"Yes; he has always told me I was to be sole heiress to his estate,
except for some comparatively small bequests."

"Did he ever threaten this proceeding before?"

"He had hinted it, but not so definitely."

"Did Mr. Hall know of Mr. Crawford's objection to his suit?"

"He did."

"Did he know of your uncle's hints of disinheritance?"

"He did."

"What was his attitude in the matter?"

Florence Lloyd looked proudly at her lover.

"The same as mine," she said. "We both regretted my uncle's protest, but
we had no intention of letting it stand in the way of our happiness."

Still Gregory Hall did not look at his fiancee. He sat motionless,
preoccupied, and seemingly lost in deep thought, oblivious to all that
was going on.

Whether his absence from Sedgwick at the time of the murder made him
feel that he was in no way implicated, and so the inquiry held no
interest for him; or whether he was looking ahead and wondering whither
these vital questions were leading Florence Lloyd, I had no means
of knowing. Certainly, he was a man of most impassive demeanor and
marvellous self-control.

"Then, in effect, you defied your uncle?"

"In effect, I suppose I did; but not in so many words. I always tried to
urge him to see the matter in a different light."

"What was his objection to Mr. Hall as your husband?"

"Must I answer that?"

"Yes; I think so; as I must have a clear understanding of the whole
affair."

"Well, then, he told me that he had no objection to Mr. Hall,
personally. But he wished me to make what he called a more brilliant
alliance. He wanted me to marry a man of greater wealth and social
position."

The scorn in Miss Lloyd's voice for her uncle's ambitions was so
unmistakable that it made her whole answer seem a compliment to Mr.
Hall, rather than the reverse. It implied that the sterling worth of
the young secretary was far more to be desired than the riches and rank
advocated by her uncle. This time Gregory Hall looked at the speaker
with a faint smile, that showed appreciation, if not adoration.

But I did not gather from his attitude that he did not adore his
beautiful bride-to