Rad scowled and said nothing, and the rest of his answers were terseness itself. "Did you and your father have any further conversation on the ride over, or in the course of the day?" "No." "You purposely avoided meeting each other?" "I suppose so." "Then those words after breakfast when you threatened to leave home were absolutely the last words you ever spoke to your father?" It was a subject Radnor did not like to think about. His lips trembled slightly and he answered with a visible effort. "Yes." A slight murmur ran around the room, partly of sympathy, partly of doubt. The coroner put the same question again and Radnor repeated his answer, this time with a flush of anger. The coroner paused a moment and then continued without comment: "You entered the cave with the rest of the party?" "Yes." "But you left the others before they had made the complete round?" "Yes." "Why was that?" "I was not particularly interested. I had seen the cave many times before." "Where did you leave the party?" "I believe in the gallery of the broken column." "You left the cave immediately?" "Yes." "Did you enter it again?" "No." "You forgot Miss Mathers's coat and left it in the gallery of the broken column?" "So it would seem." "Did you not think of that later and go back for it?" Radnor snapped out his answer. "No, I didn't think anything about the coat." "Are you in the habit of leaving young ladies' coats about in that off-hand way?" A titter ran about the room, and Rad did not deign to notice this question. I was indignant that the boy should be made to face such an ordeal. This was not a regular trial and the coroner had no right to be more obnoxious than his calling required. There was a glint of anger in Radnor's eyes; and I was uneasily aware that he no longer cared what impression he made. His answers to the rest of the questions were as short as the English language permitted. "What did you do after leaving the cave?" "Went home." "Please go into more detail. What did you do immediately after leaving the cave?" "Strolled through the woods." "For how long?" "I don't know." "How long do you think?" "Possibly half an hour." "Then what did you do?" "Returned to the hotel, ordered my horse and rode home." "Why did you not wait for the rest of the party?" "Didn't feel like it." The question was repeated in several ways, but Radnor stubbornly refused to discuss the matter. He had promised me, the last thing before coming to the hearing, that he would clear up the suspicious points in regard to his conduct on the day of the crime. I took him in hand myself, but I could get nothing more from him than the coroner had elicited. For some reason he had veered completely, and his manner warned me not to push the matter. I took my seat and the questioning continued.