mark upon it which distinguished it from
the rest. But this was not all I was expected to do. Having in his early
life been engaged in the tea-trade, he had made more than one voyage
to China, and was consequently much interested in the question of
international communication between that country and our own. Thinking
that in his various visits there, he had learned much which, if known
to the American people, would conduce to our better understanding of the
nation, its peculiarities, and the best manner of dealing with it, he
has been engaged for some time in writing a book on the subject, which
same it has been my business for the last eight months to assist him
in preparing, by writing at his dictation three hours out of the
twenty-four, the last hour being commonly taken from the evening, say
from half-past nine to half-past ten, Mr. Leavenworth being a very
methodical man and accustomed to regulate his own life and that of those
about him with almost mathematical precision."

"You say you were accustomed to write at his dictation evenings? Did
you do this as usual last evening?"

"I did, sir."

"What can you tell us of his manner and appearance at the time? Were
they in any way unusual?"

A frown crossed the secretary's brow.

"As he probably had no premonition of his doom, why should there have
been any change in his manner?"

This giving the coroner an opportunity to revenge himself for his
discomfiture of a moment before, he said somewhat severely:

"It is the business of a witness to answer questions, not to put them."

The secretary flushed and the account stood even.

"Very well, then, sir; if Mr. Leavenworth felt any forebodings of his
end, he did not reveal them to me. On the contrary, he seemed to be more
absorbed in his work than usual. One of the last words he said to
me was, 'In a month we will have this book in press, eh, Trueman?' I
remember this particularly, as he was filling his wine-glass at the
time. He always drank one glass of wine before retiring, it being my
duty to bring the decanter of sherry from the closet the last thing
before leaving him. I was standing with my hand on the knob of the
hall-door, but advanced as he said this and replied, 'I hope so, indeed,
Mr. Leavenworth.' 'Then join me in drinking a glass of sherry,' said he,
motioning me to procure another glass from the closet. I did so, and he
poured me out the wine with his own hand. I am not especially fond of
sherry,