"A pretty mean trick," was the coroner's opinion. "Didn't you resent it, Miss Clyde?" "She did not," spoke up the rector, in a decided way. "Miss Clyde is a young woman of too much sense and also of too much affection for her dear aunt, to resent a good-humored jest----" "Good-humored jest!" exclaimed Hughes. "Going some! a jest like that--spoilin' a young girl's pretty Sunday frock----" "Never mind, Hughes," reproved Timken, "we're not judging Mrs. Pell's conduct now. This is an investigation, a preliminary inquiry, rather, but not a judgment seat. Miss Clyde, I must ask that you answer me a few questions. You left your aunt's presence directly after your guests had departed?" "Within a few moments of their leaving." "She was then in her usual health and good spirits?" "So far as I know." "Any conversation passed between you?' "Only a little." "Amicable?' "What do you mean by that?" "Friendly--affectionate--not quarrelsome." "It was not exactly affectionate, as I told her I was displeased at her spoiling my gown." "Ah. And what did she say?" "That she would buy me another." "Did that content you?" "I wasn't discontented. I was annoyed at her unkind trick, and I told her so. That is all." "Of course that is all," again interrupted Mr. Bowen. "I can answer for the cordial relationship between aunt and niece and I can vouch for the fact that these merry jests didn't really stir up dissension between these two estimable people. Why, only to-day, Mrs. Pell was dilating on the wonderful legacies she meant to bestow on Miss Clyde. She also referred to a jeweled chalice for my church, but I am sure these remarks were in no way prompted by any thought of immediate death. On the contrary, she was in gayer spirits than I have ever seen her." "I think she was over-excited," said Mrs. Bowen, thoughtfully. "Don't you, Iris? She was giggling in an almost hysterical manner, it seemed to me." "I didn't notice," said Iris, wearily. "Aunt Ursula was a creature of moods. She was grave or gay without apparent reason. I put up with her silly jokes usually, but to-day's performance seemed unnecessary and unkind. However, it doesn't matter now." "No," declared Winston Bannard, "and it does no good to rake over the old lady's queer ways. We all know about her habit of playing tricks, and I, for one, don't wonder that Polly thought she screamed out to trick somebody. Nor does it matter. If Polly hadn't thought that, she couldn't have done any more than she did do to get into that room as soon as possible. Could she, now?" "No," agreed the coroner. "Nor does it really affect our problem of how the murder was committed." "Let me have a look into that room," said Bannard, suddenly. "You a detective?" asked Timken. "Not a bit of it, but I want to see its condition." "Come on in," said the other. "They've put Mrs. Pell's body on the couch, but, except for that, nothing's been touched."