Norman de Vere looked eagerly into the beautiful, startled face before him. It was ashen pale, and the hazel eyes were dilated with terror. “Camille, try to be calm. No one accuses you of knowing anything about it, but the coroner wishes to ask you a few questions--that is all,” he said, reassuringly. She tried to subdue her traitor nerves--to appear calm and disdainful. “I--I refuse to appear before a vulgar crowd like that. How dare they summon me?” she panted. “Sit down, Camille, and I will tell you the truth. Your name has most unfortunately been connected with this affair, because Lord Stuart swears that the last time he saw his poor devil of a valet alive was yesterday at twilight, when he sent him to Verelands to bring you some flowers.” “Flowers--to me! Oh, there is some mistake! I never received them. The man did not come to Verelands.” “Yes, the man came to Verelands, Camille. Two of our servants, to my great surprise, were present at the inquest. They identified the corpse as a man who came to Verelands yesterday at twilight with flowers for you. He refused to give them into any hands but yours, and when they told him you were walking in the grounds, he went in search of you. No one ever saw him alive afterward unless you did.” “Good heavens, Norman! I never saw the man in my life, either alive or dead. Do they think I murdered him?” “Certainly not, Camille. Pray do not get so excited. Then you did not meet Robert Lacy anywhere in the grounds?” “No, I did not. I only stayed out a few minutes. I came in and went to reading. You know I told you, Norman, how interested I was in my book last night.” “Yes, I remember,” he said, in a strained voice. She noticed it with a throb of fear at her heart. Why did he look at her so strangely? “I suppose I need not really go. You can tell them that I never saw the man, can’t you, dear?” she pleaded, laying an entreating hand on his coat-sleeve; but he answered almost impatiently: “I’m afraid you must come with me, Camille, or they will send an officer of the law for you. I promised I would bring you. You need not feel so nervous over it. They will only ask you a few questions. Of course, no one has any thought that you harmed the man. They are only trying to find out who saw him last in life.” With bitter reluctance she went with him, trying to steel her nerves to the cruel ordeal. Were they going to make her look upon the face of the dead man and swear that he was unknown to her--that she had never seen him before? Must she add perjury to the list of her sins?