ficult to read on his face an endeavor to look
undisturbed at what he heard.

I hadn't a doubt, myself, that the man either knew something that would
incriminate Miss Lloyd, or that they two had a mutual knowledge of some
fact as yet concealed.

I was surprised that no one else seemed to notice this, but the
attention of every one in the room was concentrated on the coroner and
the witness, and so Louis's behavior passed unnoticed.

At this juncture, Mr. Lemuel Porter spoke with some dignity.

"It would seem," he said, "that this concludes Miss Lloyd's evidence
in the matter. She has carried the narrative up to the point where
Mr. Joseph Crawford went out of his house after dinner. As she herself
retired to her room before his return, and did not again leave her room
until this morning, she can have nothing further to tell us bearing on
the tragedy. And as it is doubtless a most painful experience for her, I
trust, Mr. Coroner, that you will excuse her from further questioning."

"But wait a minute," Parmalee began, when Mr Hamilton interrupted
him--"Mr. Porter is quite right," he said; "there is no reason why Miss
Lloyd should be further troubled in this matter. I feel free to advise
her dismissal from the witness stand, because of my acquaintance and
friendship with this household. Our coroner and most of our jurors
are strangers to Miss Lloyd, and perhaps cannot appreciate as I do the
terrible strain this experience means to her."

"You're right Hamilton," said Mr. Philip Crawford; "I was remiss not to
think of it myself. Mr. Monroe, this is not a formal inquest, and in the
interest of kindness and humanity, I ask you to excuse Miss Lloyd from
further questioning for the present."

I was surprised at the requests of these elderly gentlemen, for though
it seemed to me that Miss Lloyd's testimony was complete, yet it also
seemed as if Gregory Hall were the one to show anxiety that she be
spared further annoyance.

However, Florence Lloyd spoke for herself.

"I am quite willing to answer any further questions," she said; "I have
answered all you have asked, and I have told you frankly the truth.
Though it is far from pleasant to have my individual affairs thus
brought to notice, I am quite ready to do anything to forward the cause
of justice or to aid in any way the discovery of my uncle's murderer."

"Thank you," said Mr. Monroe; "I quite appreciate the extreme
unpleasantness of your position. But, Miss Lloy