But I thought 'twas mighty queer-" "Mr.Scott was dressed, was he ?" interrupted the coroner.
"Yes, sir," Brown answered, sullenly.
"Did you go directly to your room ?" "Yes, sir." "What time was this ?" "I heard the clock strike three just after I got in." "You saw or heard nothing more ?" "No, sir." "You knew nothing of what had occurred at the house until the gardener told you in the morning ?" "N--yes--no, sir," Brown stammered, with another glance towards Mrs.LaGrange, who was watching him closely.
"What did you say ?" demanded the coroner.
"I said I didn't know what had happened till Uncle Mose told me," Brown answered, doggedly.
"That will do," said the coroner, watching the witness narrowly as he resumed his place among the servants.
During the latter part of Brown's testimony, quick, telegraphic glances had been exchanged between Scott and Mr.Sutherland, and one or two slips of paper, unobserved by any one but Merrick, had passed from one to the other.
Scott was well aware that the statements made by the coachman had deepened suspicion against himself.

He paid little attention to the crowd, however, but noted particularly the faces of the guests at Fair Oaks.

Ralph Mainwaring's, dark with anger; that of the genial Mr.Thornton coldly averted; young Mainwaring's supercilious stare, and his sister's expression of contemptuous disdain; and as he studied their features his own grew immobile as marble.

Suddenly his glance encountered Miss Carleton's face and was held for a moment as though under a spell.

There was no weak sentimentality there, no pity or sympathy,--he would have scorned either,--but the perfect confidence shining in her eyes called forth a quick response from his own, though not a muscle stirred about the sternly-set mouth.