the courtroom, at which the
coroner rapped loudly on the desk.

"Silence. Such--ahem! conduct at an inquest is not to be allowed. If
this happens again I shall clear the courtroom."

"Thet's right, Jack, make 'em behave themselves," came from the old
farmer in front. "This is serious business, this is."

"What was done with the body of Mrs. Langmore?" continued the coroner
to the servant girl.

"The docther said to lave it till you came."

"Mrs. Langmore was quite dead?"

"Yis. Hivin rest her sowl!"

"And Mr. Langmore?"

"Sure an' the docther could do nothin' fer the poor mon. It made the
docther sick to work over the corpse an' he soon had to give it up."

"Now, tell me, how do you think the two were killed?"

"Oi dunno. The docther ought to tell that--sure an' he has the
eddication, an' Oi haven't."

"There were no marks of violence?"

"Phat?"

"The victims had not been struck down?"

"Oi dunno as to that, sur--better axed the docther."

"Hum!" Coroner Busby mused for a moment. "How long have you lived
with the Langmore family?"

"Iver since Mr. Langmore married his sicond woife."

"How many of the family lived at home?"

"The first year there was the mister and missus an' Miss Jennie an'
Miss Margaret. But Miss Jennie married an' moved away--she's travelin'
now, they tell me."

"Then Miss Margaret was the only child home?"

"Yis, sur."

"Didn't Mrs. Langmore have two sons?"

"Yis, but they niver lived there. One av thim used to come an' see her
now an' thin, an' that's all."

"Was Miss Margaret on good terms with Mrs. Langmore?"

"She was not. Mrs. Langmore was a--a vixin, always afther findin'
fault, an' Oi wasn't on good terms wid her meself."

"Ah! Then you quarreled also?"

"Oh, no, sur, Oi knew me place, so Oi did, an' did me wurruk an' said
nothin'. If it hadn't been fer Miss Margaret Oi'd a lift me job long
ago. But she was such a noice girrul, an' so lonely loike, in the
house wid that tongue-lasher--"

"Wait! wait! You say Miss Margaret and Mrs. Langmore quarreled. When
did they quarrel last?"

At this question the domestic pursed up her lips and looked at Margaret.

"Oi have nothin' to say about that," she answered coldly.

This reply was a surprise to all, including Raymond. The coroner gazed
at the witness sternly.

"You must answer," he said. "It is my duty to get at the bottom of
this awful affair."

"Oi'll not answer," was the stubborn retur