"The Rainbow Feather!" he cried in a tone of terror; "and here--the Rainbow Feather!" CHAPTER IX. THE INQUEST AT HERNE ARMS. There were many people in Barnstead on the day when the inquest was held on the body of Milly Lester. The youth and beauty of the poor girl, the tragic circumstances of her death, and the knowledge, which was now spread widely abroad, that Dr. Lester was the assassin, all invested the affair with wondrous interest. From far and near people poured into Barnstead to hear the evidence of the father's guilt even at second hand; and crowds repaired to the Winding Lane in order to examine the fatal spot. Never had such excitement been known in the somnolent village. The coroner and jury were assembled in the largest room of The Herne Arms, and after surveying the body of the victim, they called all necessary witnesses to testify to the manner of her death, and the guilt of him who had brought it about. Drek had prepared his case against Dr. Lester with great care, being now convinced by the strongest of circumstantial evidence that he was the murderer. As yet Lester had not been arrested, but Drek had kept him constantly under his own eye, and had in his pocket a warrant for his arrest. This he intended to execute as soon as the jury delivered their verdict. He had no doubt as to what the verdict would be. Darcy Herne was present at the inquest, and several times he asserted his belief in the innocence of Dr. Lester. When Lester himself, pale and haggard, arrived at the inn, under the escort of Drek, the squire shook him by the hand in the warmest manner. Lester was much touched by this proof of friendship from one who had never regarded him with much approval. "It is good of you to give me your hand, Herne," he said in a faltering voice, "particularly as you know the cloud that lies over my reputation." "It is for that reason I do it, Lester. I believe you to be innocent." "Ah," sighed Lester, passing his hand across his eyes, "I wish I could believe that myself." Herne was rather amazed by this strange speech, and replied rather stiffly: "You must certainly know if you shot Milly or not?" "That is just what I don't know," retorted Lester with a haggard look. "I left home under the influence of drink and with a pistol in my possession, angry with Milly for the way in which she was deceiving you. I recollect nothing after that until I found myself at dawn in my own garden; the events of the night have vanished from my mind; my memory is a complete blank. Who knows but what I may not have shot my poor Milly unknowingly?" "H'm!" said Herne, thoughtfully; "in a condition like that you would certainly act in accordance with the uppermost thought in your mind. Was it to kill Milly?" "God forbid! Even in my drunken frenzy I had no thought of harming my own flesh and blood. I wanted to kill the man who was to meet her--Lucas Lovel." "How do you know that he was going to meet her on that night?" asked Herne, eagerly.