uestion
seemed forced from her.

Warren hesitated. "Nancy swore to me that she was innocent; and
yet--the deeper we go into this affair the more evidence we find that
she _only_ could have murdered Lloyd."

"But, Tom, we have only heard the prosecution's side of the case, so
far. Your defence will surely throw some light favorable to Nancy's
cause."

Again Warren hesitated and twirled his beard with nervous fingers; then
burst out, "I wouldn't give _that_"--he snapped his fingers
derisively--"for my defence! Louise, except Miss Metoaca, there is not
_one_ person I can call as a witness in Nancy's behalf. God help the
girl! My only hope is to shake or discredit the testimony of the
Government's witnesses."

He glanced at his wife's shocked face, and added hastily, "To sum up
the case against Nancy: let us grant that the prosecution has
established a motive for the murder. Now, they have proved, mind you,
_proved_: first, that Captain Lloyd's talk with Symonds in the hall
could have been overheard, and that _no_ one but Nancy could have
understood to whom that conversation referred as no names were
mentioned; secondly, that Nancy was in the boarding-house at that time
on the floor above; thirdly, that later she was seen coming _from_ the
back hall, which Captain Lloyd's bedroom door opens into; fourth, that
Captain Lloyd's door was not locked; fifth, that Nancy had her dog with
her; sixth, that that dog was in the room at the very time Captain
Lloyd was probably killed. Nancy gave Mrs. Lewis a plausible excuse for
her presence in that hall when she said she had gone down stairs to
look for Misery, but I doubt if I can _prove_ her statement. I have
already seen the cook, Aunt Dinah, and questioned her as to whether the
dog or Nancy were in the kitchen that afternoon, and the only response
I could get from her was that she 'disremembered'."

"It is all circumstantial evidence," protested Mrs. Warren.

"Aye, my dear; only circumstantial evidence--but strong enough to
convict her. I have not one witness who can refute this testimony."

"Why not let Nancy testify in her own behalf?"

"Nancy _can_ testify in her own behalf and make a statement, but the
evidence and statement will not be recorded. Besides, what weight will
her unsupported word carry against a dozen witnesses?" asked Warren,
bitterly.

"The coroner testified that Captain Lloyd might have died from heart
failure. Perhaps Nancy entered the room just to