"Well, sir, if I thought anybody was going to get into trouble because of it, I was only too glad to help, if I could, by removing it before it was noticed." Estelle spoke slowly, as if weighing her words, and her furtive glances at Pauline bore only one significance. It was palpably apparent that she suspected Miss Stuart of the deed, and out of kindness had tried to remove the incriminating evidence. Pauline stared at her with a glance that went through her or over her or around her, but gave not the slightest attention to the speaker. "Did you put bromide in your aunt's glass of milk, Miss Stuart?" asked the Coroner, and Pauline said, calmly, "Certainly not." Mr. Scofield sighed. It was a difficult matter to get at the truth when the witnesses were clever women, in whose veracity he had not complete confidence. He gave up Estelle for the moment, and called Gray Haviland. The young man's appearance gave every promise of frankness and sincerity. He detailed the circumstances precisely as Pauline had told them. He denied having heard or seen anything suspicious during the night. He referred to the Coroner's list of motives for crime, and added that he agreed with Miss Stuart that the present case could scarcely be ascribed to love or revenge. If the murder was committed for gain, it was, of course, a formal necessity to question all the beneficiaries of Miss Carrington's will, but he was sure that all such inheritors were quite willing to be questioned. For his part, he believed that the criminal was some enemy of Miss Carrington, unknown to her immediate household, and he suggested that such a one be searched for. "You've got that glove," he reminded, "that was found clasped in the hand of the murdered woman. Why not trace that; or endeavor to learn in some way the reason for the many peculiar circumstances; or discover, at least, a way to look for further evidence; rather than to vaguely suspect those who lived under Miss Carrington's roof?" "I am not asking your assistance in conducting this inquiry, Mr. Haviland," and the Coroner spoke shortly; "but pursuing my own plan of obtaining evidence in my own way. Will you kindly answer questions without comment on them?" "Oh, all right; fire away. Only remember, that we relatives and friends are just as much interested in clearing up this mystery as you are, and we want to help, if we can be allowed to do so intelligently." Asked again if he saw or heard anything unusual in the night, Haviland replied, "You said 'suspicious' the other time. I did see something _unusual_. I saw Estelle go stealthily downstairs at three A.M. That's unusual, but I don't go so far as to call it suspicious." VIII ANITA'S STORY Instead of showing surprise at this statement, the Coroner broke the breathless silence that followed it, by saying: "Will you please explain what you mean by 'stealthily?'"