g and mysterious journeys in various directions,
while her days at home were usually spent in the solitude of her own
room. Some friends of the family, he said, attributed it to grief at
the great blow she had sustained, while others suspected that her mind
had become slightly unhinged. I recollected, myself, how strange had
been her manner when she had visited me, and inwardly confessed to
being utterly mystified.

Doctor Govitt I found to be a stout middle-aged man, of the usual type
of old-fashioned practitioner of a cathedral town, whose methods and
ideas were equally old-fashioned. Before I entered the room where the
unfortunate woman was lying, he explained to me that life had
evidently been extinct about seven hours prior to the discovery of the
body.

"There are no marks of foul play?" I inquired anxiously.

"None, as far as I've been able to find--only a scratch on the left
cheek, evidently inflicted after death."

"What's your opinion?"

"Suicide. Without a doubt. The hour at which she fell into the water
is shown by her watch. It stopped at 2.28."

"You have no suspicion of foul play?"

"None whatever."

I did not reply; but by the compression of my lips I presume he saw
that I was dubious.

"Ah! I see you are suspicious," he said. "Of course, in tragic
circumstances like these the natural conclusion is to doubt. The poor
young lady's husband was mysteriously done to death, and I honestly
believe that her mind gave way beneath the strain of grief. I've
attended her professionally two or three times of late, and noted
certain abnormal features in her case that aroused my suspicions that
her brain had become unbalanced. I never, however, suspected her of
suicidal tendency."

"Her mother, Mrs. Mivart, did," I responded. "She told me so only a
few days ago."

"I know, I know," he answered. "Of course, her mother had more
frequent and intimate opportunities for watching her than we had. In
any case it is a very dreadful thing for the family."

"Very!" I said.

"And the mystery surrounding the death of Mr. Courtenay--was it never
cleared up? Did the police never discover any clue to the assassin?"

"No. Not a single fact regarding it, beyond those related at the
inquest, has ever been brought to light."

"Extraordinary--very extraordinary!"

I went with him into the darkened bedroom wherein lay the body, white
and composed, her hair dishevelled about her shoulders, and her white
waxen hands c