They turned away, but not before Gracie had taken Dick's hand and kissed it. And now, on Wednesday morning, the Coroner took his place, and addressed the jury in the following terms: "Upon the opening of this inquiry I advised you to keep an open mind respecting it, and to turn a deaf ear to the strange rumours and reports which were in circulation. I feel it necessary to repeat this caution. The extraordinary statements which have appeared in the public press may or may not have a foundation of fact, but with these statements we have nothing to do, and I beg you to dismiss them. You are here to give your verdict in accordance with the evidence which will be presented to you, and not in accordance with unauthorised and unverified rumour. If you do this without fear or favour you will have performed your duty. Before medical evidence is taken Inspector Robson has requested permission to make a statement, to which, as he is an important witness in the case, I see no objection." Inspector Robson was then called. The Coroner: "Does the statement you wish to make, Inspector Robson, relate to the present inquiry?" Inspector Robson: "It does, Mr. Coroner, though it has no direct bearing upon it. A matter has come to my knowledge since Monday which, although it is purely of a private nature, I consider it my duty to make public. Constable Applebee, in his evidence on that day, mentioned that on the night of the 5th, when he was in Catchpole Square, he saw a woman there whom he challenged, and who escaped from him. The incident was reported at the Bishop Street Station, and note was taken of it. I wish to state that the lady he challenged is my daughter." "You were not aware of the fact when Constable Applebee was under examination?" "I was not. My daughter, hearing on Monday that the incident had been mentioned in court, informed me that it was she who had visited Catchpole Square on the night in question." "Is there any special reason why she did not inform you of it before?" "None. Had the matter been of importance she would have spoken of it earlier." "Perhaps we had better hear from her own lips the reason of her visit. Is she in court?" "She is." "Let her be called." Florence came forward. She was sitting between Reginald and her mother, who gave her an encouraging smile as she left them. The Coroner: "You have heard what your father has said. There is no obligation upon you to state why you went to Catchpole Square at such an hour on such a night; but we are ready to listen to any explanation you may desire to make." Florence: "I will answer any questions you ask." "Previous to your visit where were you on that night?" "At my husband's lodgings in Park Street, Islington. He was very ill, and I was nursing him." "Did he send you for his father?"