“Why, I could not very well prevent it,” said he, pointing to the two or three old country magistrates in the train, “besides Miss Churchill cannot be shocked at what she is prepared to see—you have surely informed her?” “No, I have not; I should have done so, could I have guessed that they would have brought the body here.” “Why, dearest Emily, this was the nearest house, the coroner’s inquest was appointed to meet here, also.” Emily May requested them to pause with the body until she could go in and announce their arrival to the mistress of the mansion. She need not have feared for Sophie’s nerves _then_. When we are in deep trouble we are in excellent order to receive _bad_ news; it does not shock us, little can shock us when in sorrow, except joy. Let me illustrate, when we are already _cold_ we can bear a _cool_ draught. Sophie gave her consent almost indifferently for the corpse to be brought in, and the three ladies withdrew to the upper story. In another quarter of an hour it was laid out in the parlor. Emily had dropped no hint to Sophie of her suspicion of the identity of the drowned woman with the wanderer she had seen in the forest dell, and Miss Churchill was entirely without suspicion as to who it could be. Mrs. Gardiner Green was full of exclamations of wonder, grief, and horror. Four o’clock drew near, and the jury summoned by the coroner began to assemble; many other persons impelled by curiosity also came. When the room was nearly full, and the hour appointed for holding the inquest arrived, it entered the head of the coroner to request the attendance of the lady of the house as well as of Mrs. May, whose testimony, as one present at the finding of the body, was required. A message was sent upstairs, and Mrs. May and Miss Churchill, accompanied by Mrs. Gardiner Green, entered the room. The corpse was laid out upon boards in the centre of the room; it was covered by a black velvet pall—the body had not been uncovered since the assembling of the jury. The ladies entered and took their seats. “What are we waiting for now?” inquired a gentleman present. “For Mr. Withers, who is on the jury,” answered the coroner. At this moment Mr. Withers entered, and the inquest began. The coroner, going to the head of the bier, turned down the pall, and summoned Mr. Wilde to give in his evidence. At the first uncovering of the corpse, many had bent forward to obtain a glimpse of the face, Mr. Withers among the rest; he had been standing near Sophie, whom he had not omitted to greet, and now he leaned forward. By reason of his height, he obtained a good view, _for a single instant_, then covering his face with his open palms, he groaned forth in tones of bitter anguish—