e horse; the horse found the road; and
some time later I reached home. As I came within sight of the house I
grew suddenly strong again. The open stable door reminded me of my duty,
and driving in, I quickly unharnessed Jenny and put her away. Then I
dragged the cutter into place, and hung up the harness. Lastly, I locked
the door and carried the key with me into the house and hung it up on its
usual nail in the kitchen. I had obeyed Adelaide, and now I would go to
my room. That is what she would wish; but I don't know whether I did this
or not. My mind was full of Adelaide till confusion came--then
darkness--and then a perfect blank."

She had finished; she had done as she had been asked; she had told the
story of that evening as she knew it, from the family dinner till her
return home after midnight--and the mystery of Adelaide's death was as
great as ever. Did she realise this? Had I wronged this lovely,
tempestuous nature by suspicions which this story put to blush? I was
happy to think so--madly, unreasonably happy. Whatever happened, whatever
the future threatening Arthur or myself, it was rapture to be restored to
right thinking as regards this captivating and youthful spirit, who had
suffered and must suffer always--and all through me, who thought it a
pleasant pastime to play with hearts, and awoke to find I was playing
with souls, and those of the two noblest women I had ever known!

The cutting in of some half dozen questions from Mr. Moffat, which I
scarcely heard and which did not at all affect the status of the case as
it now stood, served to cool down the emotional element, which had almost
superseded the judicial, in more minds than those of the jury; and having
thus prepared his witness for an examination at other and less careful
hands, he testified his satisfaction at her replies, and turned her over
to the prosecution, with the time-worn phrase:

"Mr. District Attorney, the witness is yours."

Mr. Fox at once arose; the moment was ripe for conquest. He put his most
vital question first:

"In all this interview with your sister, did you remark any discoloration
on her throat?"

The witness's lips opened; surprise spoke from her every feature.
"Discoloration?" she repeated. "I do not know what you mean."

"Any marks darker than the rest of her skin on her throat or neck?"

"No. Adelaide had a spotless skin. It looked like marble as she lay
there. No, I saw no marks."

"Miss Cumberland, have y