"But wait," and Eve fixed her compelling eyes on the coroner's face. "Remember, Doctor Crawford, though you may not believe in the occult, other and wiser minds do. I wish to remind you, therefore, that we who believe these deaths were caused by supernatural agency, believe also that the powers that compassed the deaths are able to make the deaths seem attributable to natural causes, whether poison or anything else." "Eve!" exclaimed Milly, "that is going too far!" "Not at all!" said the Professor. "Miss Carnforth is quite right; and indeed, logic must prove that if a phantasm can take away a human life it can also produce effects that resemble conditions brought about by human means." "I repeat," the coroner interrupted, "these things are beside the question. We are conducting an autopsy, not an inquest, at present. I am giving you my report as a medical man, not as a member of the police force. Those other matters will be considered later. We have completed our examinations in the one case, we will now proceed to the case of the other victim." "They killed each other," Thorpe broke in, nodding his head in the positive manner he affected. "Leastwise, one of 'em killed both; and of course, Miss Vernie, she wasn't no murderer!" "Wait till you are called upon to testify, my man," and Crawford glowered at the forwardness of the old butler. "There'll be testifyin' on both sides," volunteered Stebbins, speaking a little belligerently. Crawford turned on him, and it was easily seen that enmity existed between these two. "You, 'Lijah Stebbins, keep quiet," he admonished, "there's them that says you know too much about these doings, anyhow." "What do you mean by that?" Stebbins' eyes glowed with anger. "Nothing now, and maybe nothing at any time. But you'd better lie low. You might be unduly suspected of ha'nting your own house!" To the surprise of all present, Stebbins turned a chalky white, and whimpered a little, as he said, "I don't know what you mean,--I ain't done anything." "See's you don't!" advised Crawford, enigmatically, and then the two doctors started to go on their second gruesome errand. "This door's locked," announced Doctor Wayburn, trying to gain entrance to the Room with the Tassels. "I have the key," said Eve Carnforth, slowly, and, with a white face, she offered it to the men. "What are _you_ doing with it?" asked Landon, in amazement. "I d-don't know," and Eve showed great nervousness. "I think I feared some one would go in there." The others looked at her curiously, for the white face was pallid and the scarlet line of her lips was thin and straight. An exclamation from Doctor Wayburn claimed their attention, and speaking from the doorway of the Room with the Tassels, he said: "There is no body here." "What!" cried several at once, and crowded to the door. "Absolutely none," repeated the doctor, and Professor Hardwick pushed his way past the two medical men and entered the room.