to pursue this matter?"

The coroner, troubled, anxious, and nearly as much overwhelmed as the
District Attorney, did not immediately reply. Indeed, the situation was
one to upset any man of whatever calibre. Finally he turned to Mr.
Gryce.

"Mr. Gryce," said he, "we are, as you have observed, friends of the
dying man, and, being so, may miss our duty in our sympathy. What do you
think ought to be done, in justice to him, the prisoner, and the
positions which we both occupy?"

"Well, sirs," rejoined Mr. Gryce, "it is not usual, perhaps, for a man
in my position to offer actual advice to gentlemen in yours; but if you
wish to know what course I should pursue if I were in your places, I
should say: First, require the witnesses still lingering around the
dying man to promise that they will not divulge what was there said till
a week has fully elapsed; next, adjourn the case now before the court
for the same decent length of time; and, lastly, trust me and the two
men you have hitherto employed, to find out if there is any thing in Mr.
Orcutt's past history of a nature to make you tremble if the world hears
of the words which escaped him on his death-bed. We shall probably need
but a week."

"And Miss Dare?"

"Has already promised secrecy."

There was nothing in all this to alarm their fears; every thing, on the
contrary, to allay them.

The coroner gave a nod of approval to Mr. Ferris, and both signified
their acquiescence in the measures proposed.

Mr. Gryce at once assumed his usual genial air.

"You may trust me," said he, "to exercise all the discretion you would
yourselves show under the circumstances. I have no wish to see the name
of such a man blasted by an ineffaceable stain." And he bowed as if
about to leave the room.

But Mr. Ferris, who had observed this movement with an air of some
uneasiness, suddenly stepped forward and stopped him.

"I wish to ask," said he, "whether superstition has had any thing to do
with this readiness on your part to impute the worst meaning to the
chance phrases which have fallen from the lips of our severely injured
friend. Because his end seems in some regards to mirror that of the
widow, have you allowed a remembrance of the words she made use of in
the face of death to influence your good judgment as to the identity of
Mr. Orcutt with her assassin?"

The face of Mr. Gryce assumed its grimmest aspect.

"Do you think this catastrophe was necessary to draw my attent