pects to our usual evening when we
do not have guests."

"And you both went upstairs at ten. Was that unusually early for you?"

"Well, unless we have guests, we often go at ten or half-past ten."

"And did you see Miss Lloyd again that night?"

"Yes; about half an hour later, I went to her room for a book I wanted."

"Miss Lloyd had not retired?"

"No; she asked me to sit down for awhile and chat."

"Did you do so?"

"Only for a few moments. I was interested in the book I had come for,
and I wanted to take it away to my own room to read."

"And Miss Lloyd, then, did not seem dispirited or in any way in an
unusual mood?"

"Not that I noticed. I wasn't quizzing her or looking into her eyes to
see what her thoughts were, for it didn't occur to me to do so. I
knew her uncle had dealt her a severe blow, but as she didn't open
the subject, of course I couldn't discuss it with her. But I did think
perhaps she wanted to be by herself to consider the matter, and that was
one reason why I didn't stay and chat as she had asked me to."

"Perhaps she really wanted to discuss the matter with you."

"Perhaps she did; but in that case she should have said so. Florence
knows well enough that I am always ready to discuss or sympathize with
her in any matter, but I never obtrude my opinions. So as she said
nothing to lead me to think she wanted to talk to me especially, I said
good-night to her."

VIII. FURTHER INQUIRY

"Did you happen to notice, Mrs. Pierce, whether Miss Lloyd was wearing a
yellow rose when you saw her in her room?"

Mrs. Pierce hesitated. She looked decidedly embarrassed, and seemed
disinclined to answer. But she might have known that to hesitate and
show embarrassment was almost equivalent to an affirmative answer to the
coroner's question. At last she replied,

"I don't know; I didn't notice."

This might have been a true statement, but I think no one in the room
believed it. The coroner tried again.

"Try to think, Mrs. Pierce. It is important that we should know if Miss
Lloyd was wearing a yellow rose."

"Yes," flared out Mrs. Pierce angrily, "so that you can prove she went
down to her uncle's office later and dropped a piece of her rose there!
But I tell you I don't remember whether she was wearing a rose or not,
and it wouldn't matter if she had on forty roses! If Florence Lloyd says
she didn't go down-stairs, she didn't."

"I think we all believe in Miss Lloyd's veracity," said M