ination could not draw anything more from him.

The officials put their heads together and talked in whispers.

This last witness gave, after all, the nearest to a clue of any they had
yet received.

The notes of the testimony were put in the hands of the London detective
then present.

"Allow me to remind you, sir," said Lord Arondelle, "that this interview
testified to by the last witness, was said to have taken place between
ten and twelve at night, and that there is a train for London which stops
at Lone at a quarter past twelve. Would it not be well to make inquiries
at the station as to what passengers, if any, got on at Lone?"

"A good idea. Thanks, my lord. We will summon the agent who happened to
be on duty at that hour," said the coroner.

And a messenger was immediately dispatched to Lone to bring the railway
official in question.

In the interim, several of the household servants were examined, but
without bringing any new facts to light.

After an absence of two hours, the messenger returned accompanied by
Donald McNeil, the ticket-agent who had been in the office for the
midnight train of the preceding day.

He was a man of middle age and medium size, with a fair complexion, sandy
hair and open, honest countenance. He was clothed in a suit of black and
white-checked cloth.

He was duly sworn and examined. He gave his name as Donald McNeil, his
age forty years, and his home in the hamlet of Lone.

"You are a ticket-agent at the Railway Station at Lone?" inquired the
coroner's clerk.

"I am, sir."

"You were on duty at that station last night, between twelve midnight and
one, morning?"

"I was, sir."

"Does the train for London stop at Lone at that hour?"

"The up-train stops at Lone, at a quarter past twal, sir, and seldom
varies for as muckle as twa minutes."

"It stopped last night as usual, at a quarter past twelve?"

"It did, sir, av coorse."

"Did any passengers get on that train from Lone?"

"_One_ passenger did, sir; whilk I remarked it more particularly,
because the passenger was a young lass, travelling her lane, and it is
unco seldom a woman tak's that train at that hour, and never her lane."

"Ah! there was but one passenger, then, that took the midnight train from
Lone for London?"

"But one, sir."

"And she was a woman?"

"A young lass, sir."

"Did she take a through ticket?"

"Ah, sir, to London."

"What class?"

"Second-class."

"Had she luggage?"

"