ively raised at the
coroner, as if he were wondering anxiously what punishment would be
meted out to him for having created so much commotion, and then with
equal furtiveness he dropped them again. His shoulders were bowed and
his knees parted company from each other, thus giving him more than
ever the appearance of a beetle.

Of course the coroner had to recover his official manner as quickly as
possible. But even to him the statement had come as a surprise. He had
only known very vaguely that a witness had come forward at the
eleventh hour, having only just had time to communicate with the
police before the opening of the inquest.

In view of the importance of the evidence, the witness was called as
soon as possible; what he had to say would materially affect the
whole trend of the inquiry; he had, it seems, brought others with
him--members of his own family among them--in order that they might
corroborate the truth of what he said.

Quite a minute or so had elapsed in the meanwhile; then at last was
the coroner able to resume with at least a semblance of official
indifference:

"Now," he said, "let the jury understand a little more clearly what
you said just now."

"What I said?" rejoined the man vaguely.

"Yes, what you said. Let us understand it clearly. You went to the
mortuary this morning, and saw the body of the deceased?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you state here on oath that in the deceased you recognized your
own son?"

"I'll swear to 'im!" replied the witness simply. "Ask 'is mother
there!"

And with a long, thin finger, generously edged with grime, he pointed
to the woman in seedy black hat and shabby tweed jacket who sat quite
close to Luke de Mountford.

"Never mind about his mother just now," admonished the coroner. "We
want your statement first. You realize that you are on oath?"

"Yes, sir. I've sworn my Bible oath."

"And you understand the importance of an oath?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you swear that the body of the murdered man whom you saw in the
mortuary chamber this morning is that of your son?"

"I swear to that, sir."

I believe that had coroner and jury and practically every man there
present, dared to put their thoughts into words at that moment, the
ejaculation: "Well! I am blowed!" or "I'm d----d!" as the case might
be--would have been generally heard throughout the room. The women, on
the other hand, were far too excited even to think.

"Now," resumed the coroner, "tell the