afraid of the
coroner, of Lambert, of Miss Lloyd, and of the jury. It might have
been merely the unreasonable fear of an ignorant mind, but it had the
appearance of some more definite apprehension.

Especially did she seem afraid of the man, Louis. Though perhaps the
distressed glances she cast at him were not so much those of fear as of
anxiety.

The coroner spoke kindly to her, and really seemed to take more notice
of her embarrassment, and make more effort to put her at her ease than
he had done with Miss Lloyd.

"Is it Miss Lloyd's bag?"

"I don't think so, sir."

"Don't you know? As her personal maid, you must be acquainted with her
belongings."

"Yes, sir. No, it isn't hers, sir."

But as this statement was made after a swift but noticeable glance of
inquiry at her mistress, a slight distrust of Elsa formed in my own
mind, and probably in the minds of others.

"She has one like this, has she not?"

"She--she did have, sir; but she--she gave it to me."

"Yes? Then go and get it and let us see it."

"I haven't it now, sir. I--I gave it away."

"Oh, you gave it away! To whom? Can you get it back?"

"No, sir; I gave it to my cousin, who sailed for Germany last week."

Miss Lloyd looked up in surprise, and that look of surprise told against
her. I could see Parmalee's eyes gleam as he concluded in his own mind
that the bag story was all false, was made up between mistress and maid,
and that the part about the departing cousin was an artistic touch added
by Elsa.

The coroner, too, seemed inclined to disbelieve the present witness, and
he sat thoughtfully snapping the catch of the bag.

He turned again to Miss Lloyd. "Having given away your own bag," he
said suavely, "you have perhaps provided yourself with another, have you
not?"

"Why, no, I haven't," said Florence Lloyd. "I have been intending to do
so, and shall get one shortly, but I haven't yet selected it."

"And in the meantime you have been getting along without any?"

"A gold-mesh bag is not an indispensable article; I have several bags of
other styles, and I'm in no especial haste to purchase a new one."

Miss Lloyd's manner had taken on several degrees of hauteur, and her
voice was incisive in its tone. Clearly she resented this discussion of
her personal belongings, and as she entirely repudiated the ownership of
the bag in the coroner's possession, she was annoyed at his questions.

Mr. Monroe looked at her steadily.

"If this