him? You're not trying to intimate that _I_ killed
him, are you? Of all the idiotic things! No, I have no revolver, Mr.
Coroner. And I've nothing more to say."

"Then stand down," said the coroner, and Lester Stark threaded his way
back to the chair he had occupied during the proceedings, rather red in
the face, and with blazing eyes and tightly set lips.

A stream of other witnesses came and gave their stories. Brellier told of
how he had been rung up by Merriton to ask if there were any news of
Wynne's arrival at the house. Told, in fact, all that he admitted to know
of the night's affair, and ended up his evidence with the remark that
"nothing on earth or in heaven would make him believe that Sir Nigel
Merriton was guilty of murder."

Things were narrowing down. There was a restlessness about the court;
time was getting on and everything pointed one way. After some discussion
with the jury, the foreman of it, a stout, pretentious fellow, rose to
his feet and whispered a few hurried words to the coroner. That gentleman
wiped his forehead with a silk handkerchief and looked about him. It had
been a trying business altogether. He'd be glad of his supper. He got to
his feet and turned to the crowded room.

"Gentlemen," he said, "in all this evidence that has been placed before
us I find not one loophole of escape for the prisoner, not one opening
by which there might be a chance of passing any other verdict than that
which I am compelled to pass now; save only in the evidence of Borkins,
who tells that the dead man groaned and moaned for a minute or two after
being shot. This, I must say, leaves me in some doubt as to the absolute
accuracy of his story, but the main facts tally with what evidence we
have and point in one direction. There is only one revolver in question,
and that revolver of a peculiar make and bore. I have shown you the
instrument here, also the bullet which was extracted from the dead man's
brain. Is there no other person who would wish to give evidence, before
I am compelled to pronounce the prisoner 'Guilty'--and leave him to the
hands of higher Courts of Justice? If there is, I beg of you to speak,
and speak at once. Time is short, gentlemen."

His voice ceased, and for a moment over the room there was silence. You
could have heard a pin drop. Then came the scraping of a chair, a
swiftly-muttered, "I will! I will! I have something to say!" in a woman's
voice shrill with emotion, and 'Toinette Br