"For any fancied grievance she might have against me. I have always tried to please her, but she was, er,--difficult, and it was not easy to do the right thing at all times." "Did you go to her room?" "I went to the door----" "At what time?" "Soon after one o'clock. Not more than five or ten minutes after." There was a rustle of excitement. The poison was said to be administered at about one! Did this fair doll-like girl know the secret of the tragedy? "Proceed, Miss Frayne; tell the story of anything you saw at that time." "I saw nothing. But I heard a great deal." "What was it?" "The door of Miss Carrington's room was closed, and I was about to tap at it, when I heard talking inside. I paused, and I listened, in order to discover if her maid was still with her, or some one else. If it had been Estelle, I should have tapped for admittance. But it was not." "Who was it?" "I cannot say. The voice I heard distinctly was that of Miss Carrington herself. Her voice was high-pitched, and of what is called a carrying sort. The things she said were so strange, I lingered, listening, for I was so surprised I couldn't help it." "First, I heard her say, quite plainly, 'Your face is the most beautiful I have ever seen! I wish mine were as beautiful.' I assumed, then, she must be talking to Miss Stuart, for surely she would not say that to her maid. Then she said, 'But, to-morrow, I shall be forever freed from this homely face of mine.'" "Miss Frayne, this is very singular! Are you sure you heard correctly?" "I am sure. But there is more. She next said, 'To-morrow you will be glad!--_glad!_' It was almost a scream, that. And she went on, 'To-morrow all these jewels will be yours,--if you--ah, but _will_ you?' and then her voice trailed off faintly, and I could hear no more." "You heard nothing more at all?" "Yes; I waited,--oh, I admit I was eavesdropping, but it was so strange I couldn't help it,--there was silence. It may well be some one else was replying to her, but I could not make out any other person's words. A low voice would not be audible like a high-pitched one. But after a moment, Miss Carrington resumed; she said, 'I shall change my will. Not Carr's half, that must stand. But the other half shall never go to a niece who has no affection for me!' Again I heard nothing, for the responses were inaudible. Then Miss Carrington said, in a musing tone: 'I have already willed you ten thousand dollars of those United States bonds, but----' And then, after quite a long pause, Miss Carrington cried out, not loudly, but tensely, 'Henri, Henri! _you_ are the mark I aim at!' That frightened me so, I ran swiftly back to my room, and locked the door." "You assumed Henri to be Count Charlier?" "I had no other construction to put upon the words." "You thought the gentleman was in Miss Carrington's room?" "I couldn't think that! And yet, it sounded as if she were speaking to him, not of him."