There awakened in his mind the consciousness that he was being asked questions which suggested an object.

The next one added to his awakening sense of the thing.
"Her exercise and holidays were always taken alone ?" Redcliff said.
"The Duchess believed so." "She has evidently been living under a poignant strain and some ghastly shock has struck her down.

I think she must have been in the room when you brought the news of young Muir's terrible death." "She was," said Coombe.

"I saw her and then forgot." "I thought so," Redcliff went on.

"She cried out several times, 'Blown to atoms--atoms! Donal!' She was not conscious of the cries." "Are you sure she said 'Donal' ?" Coombe asked.
"Quite sure.