“Of course, it was strange that she should have chosen this curious mode of taking her own life. She had access to all kinds of poisons, amongst which her medical knowledge could prompt her to choose the least painful and most efficacious ones. Therefore, to have walked out on a Sunday night to a wretched and unfrequented spot and there committed suicide in that grim fashion seemed almost the work of a mad woman. And yet the evidence of her family and friends all tended to prove that Miss Elliott was a peculiarly sane, large-minded, and happy individual. “However, the suicide theory was at this stage of the proceedings taken as being absolutely established, and when Police-Constable Fiske came forward to give his evidence no one in the court was prepared for a statement which suddenly revealed this case to be as mysterious as it was tragic. “Fiske’s story was this: Close upon midnight on that memorable Sunday night he was walking down Blomfield Road along the side of the canal and towards the foot-bridge, when he overtook a lady and gentleman who were walking in the same direction as himself. He turned to look at them, and noticed that the gentleman was in evening dress and wore a high hat, and that the lady was crying. “Blomfield Road is at best very badly lighted, especially on the side next to the canal, where there are no lamps at all. Fiske, however, was prepared to swear positively that the lady was the deceased. As for the gentleman, he might know him again or he might not. “Fiske then crossed the foot-bridge, and walked on towards the Harrow Road. As he did so, he heard St. Mary Magdalen’s church clock chime the hour of midnight. It was a quarter of an hour after that, that the body of the unfortunate girl was found, and clasping in her hand the knife with which that awful deed had been done. By whom? Was it really by her own self? But if so, why did not that man in evening dress who had last seen her alive come forward and throw some light upon this fast thickening veil of mystery? “It was Mr. James Elliott, brother of the deceased, however, who first mentioned a name then in open court, which has ever since in the minds of every one been associated with Miss Elliott’s tragic fate. “He was speaking in answer to a question of the coroner’s anent his sister’s disposition and recent frame of mind. “‘She was always extremely cheerful,’ he said, ‘but recently had been peculiarly bright and happy. I understood from her that this was because she believed that a man for whom she had a great regard was also very much attached to her, and meant to ask her to be his wife.’ “‘And do you know who this man was?’ asked the coroner. “‘Oh, yes,’ replied Mr. Elliott, ‘it was Dr. Stapylton.’ “Every one had expected that name of course, for every one remembered Nurse Dawson’s story, yet when it came, there crept over all those present an undescribable feeling that something terrible was impending. “‘Is Dr. Stapylton here?’