He made no reply, feeling ashamed to confess that it would make the coming scene all the more painful to know that she was hearing again in all its repulsive detail the story of his participation in the criminal construction of the Glenmore hotel. "I think I had better go," she said finally, "and I want to go!" She wished to be near him at the end, after he had performed this difficult act; to be near him when he came out from the hearing and walked home with the knowledge of the public disgrace preparing for him at the hands of the hungry reporters. Then, she divined, would come upon him the full bitterness of his position. The hearing proceeded slowly, and it was the middle of the afternoon before the architect was called. The coroner, a grizzled little German-American with an important manner, put on his spectacles to examine the new witness, and the members of the coroner's jury, who knew that the architect had left the city immediately after the fire and were surprised at his return, evinced their curiosity by leaning forward and staring at Hart. The first questions put to him were directed toward gaining information about the corporation that owned the building. As Mr. Hart was the treasurer of the Glenmore company, presumably he held stock in the corporation? A large amount? No, he had had some stock, but had disposed of it. Recently? Some time ago. To whom? The witness refused to answer. Had he paid cash for his stock? The witness refused to answer: he had been told by his lawyer that all such questions were not pertinent to the present inquiry. But who, then, were the chief stockholders? who were, in fact, the Glenmore company? Again the architect refused to answer; indeed, he was not sure that he knew. The coroner, baffled on this line, and knowing well enough in a general way at least from previous witnesses that nothing was to be unearthed here, turned to more vital matters. "Mr. Hart," he said, clearing his throat and looking gravely at the witness, "I understand that you were the architect for this hotel?" "Yes." "You drew the plans and specifications for the Glenmore?" "Yes, they were prepared in my office." "Were they the same that you see here?" The coroner motioned toward the roll of plans that had been taken from the files of the Building Department. "Yes," the architect answered readily, merely glancing at the plans, "those were the plans for the hotel as originally prepared by me." "Now I want to ask if the Glenmore hotel was built according to these plans?" The architect hesitated. Every one in the room knew well enough by this time that the building destroyed by fire had not been erected according to these plans, but, nevertheless, they waited eagerly for the reply. "Few buildings," Hart began explanatorily, "are completed in all respects according to the original plans and specifications." "Ah, is that so?"