Rhyl Journal

TPTTBLISHGSD BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT] THE SENTENCE OF ■ THE COURT. BY HEADON HILL, Author of "The Qu"n of Night," "Guilty Gold,* "By a Hair's-breadth," &c., &c. C 0 P Y R I G H T. I SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTERS I. & II.—In the little Hampshire village of onk's Hadley lives Dr. Bathurst, the local physician, Late one night, just as he is about to retire, he is *&ited upon by Mr. Leger Vipan, a newly-fledged million- aire, who haa just purchased the fine old mansion known s Rookley Wood. The purport of his visit is to induce he Doctor not to give him away." The Doctor declares that if he means by that that he was not going ditclose to Sir Henry Selwood what he knew 01 "'Pan's antecedents, he was much mistaken. \ipan. he teminded him, had caused his (the Doctor's) niece Hita uch uneasiness by promising her marriage, and then '^suiting her with proposals which she flung back in his teeth. Now that Vipan was endeavouring to ingratiate with Sir Henry Selwood's niece, the Doctor had determined to expose him. As the Doctor is talking ,v ipan is toying with a pink tumbler, and shortly after- ":rd leaves the house. The Doctor takes his usual from the tumbler, and half an hour subsequently nephew, Cyril, who visits him, finds him dead in his chair. Himself a doctor, he suspects poison, and to avOid exposure, as suspicion might rest upon himself, he WiPes out the tumbler and leaves the house. As h, Je<ires he meets Vipan, the millionaire, but neither of ••hem speaks. On reaching his lodgings in the east end I London, he waits for news from Monk's Hadley. In week's time he hears that he has been left the Practice of his uncle on condition that he resides at *onk's Hadley. From a newspaper he learns that foul {*7 is suspected, and his uncle's body is to be exhumed. *Jf 'ear he consents to exchange the practice at Monk's Hadley with a fellow doctor, who is ordered out to th# *lk!and Islands, George Maiden, his friend being in love with the daughter of Sir Henry Selwood. They arree to exchange names. CHAPTERS II. (continued) & III-After Cyril Bathurst and George Malden have exchanged personalities, so to •Peak, Malden observes a young actress, named Rit. ertram, talking with an apparent clergyman, but who Is a detectine named the Hon. Mark Taverner, whom •he is employing to watch a young man named Augustus incent, who had deceived her, and whom she is anxiou* *° hold the whip hand oven At Monk's Hadley, ipan l« compelled to offer an annuity to silence the villaga Policeman, who had seen him enter the house of the deceased on the night of his death. At a dinner party Judge Selwood's, Vipan is Introduced to Dr. r^thurst" (George Maiden) on the eve of the inques* 'fought about at tbe instance of Vipan. CHAPTER IV.—THE COIL BEGINS TO WIND. While Leger Vipan was dropping mysterious hinfa lIJto the ear of SirHenry Selwood in the dining-room, the successor of old Doctor Bathurst was making Rood u?e of his time at the piano. For a youth and Maiden mutually so inclined a little new musio" Ûéln. become an excellent veil for lovemaking, es- pecially when the entire audience is not only well- disposed but drowsy withal. Lady Selwood, com- jortably installed on her sofa at a safe distance, filled °th those conditions admirably. T This was by no means the first meeting between Jrcrie and her fellow student of the Rhapsody of t'szt. Tho very first day of their return to the priory the card of Doctor Cyril Bathurst had "^en "found on the hall table, and the call had been Promptly returned by Sir Henry, who coupled with Is thanks for the service rendered to his daughter invitation to lunch for the next day. The ac- quaintance thus formally instituted had ripened aPace; the young people had after that met many times, quite bjr ohance of course, in the quiet country ja-nes, and at the end of ten days agreed on compar- es notes that they felt as if they had known each Other for years. What a strange man your neighbour Mr. Vipan 8ees to be!" said the young doctor, presently. "I ca.n t understand him at all." He is a very horrid man, and I understand him thoroughly," Irene replied with decision. He is "ever civil to anyone from whom he does not expect *° gain pome social advantage. Father is only polite to. him, I think, because he likes to be on good terms "Ih those round us when we come down into the Country,'1 I am glad to hear you talk like that; I was half afraid that you might admire him as much as he admires you, and that would have made me very Unhappy." "Hush!" murmured Miss Selwood, quick to take advantage of an interruption which she wasnotquite that she altogether welcomed. Here tney come from the dining-room." Sir Henry and Vipan entered, but it appeared that Jhe latter had only come to say good-night to the •adies before taking his departure. In a manner so 'hff as to seem intentionally so he excused himself from rpmaining longer on the vague plea of impor- tant business correspondence that claimed his atten- tion before retiring for the night. Lady Selwood s Protest was more polite in word than pres-sing in tone, and Irene was almost rudely brisk in proffering a curt farewell to the millionaire. When he had shaken hands with the two ladies Vipan added to the mystery of his demeanour by bowing distantly to his fellow-guest before leaving the room with his ^0,t. i o- On returning from seeing Vipan to the door Sir Henry was so abstracted and thoughtful that Irene rallied her father on having been bored by the necessity of doing the civil to their undesirablo nelg-hbour. •, He has been telling you that he is having silver- Plated mangers fitted to his Ftablei she laughed. Rut the judge refused to be drawn. "I have lever been less bored in my life; Mr. Vipan has been intensely interesting to me," he replied, lift- Ing. his daughter's chin and looking a little anxiously into her careless eyes. Shortly afterwards, perceiving that the undefined "social electricity" in the air, which he had noticed t dinner, had not entirely cleared away, the new Monk's Hadley doctor also took h li; leave As he tramps along the high-road on his way home, "'e, who knew his identity, may refer to him as George faldennot as the Cyril Bathurst Personality he had assumed for love of Irene feel- "1 -S;' far he sa. no reason to \be dissatisfied wi t h the course he had taken. Indeed, it appearrd to have succeeded beyond his wildest hopes, for inside a fortnight he had established himself on a footing °f friendship at the Priory, and of something wntch bade fair to become warmer with the daughter ot the house. The scarcely veiled enmitv of Vipan, though he fully reoognisea it., troubled him not a Jot. It had on the other hand an exhilarating effect as showing that if Vipan was his rival he was by no means a self-confident one. t The inquest that was to be held on bis supposed bne]!! on the morrow was certainly an unpleasant aurprise. Amid the fierce light that would be shed °» the ctreumstances attending old Doctor death it was possible that his own •^sumption of a. false rflle might be discovered, but h? anticipated no graver consequences than tnat, aiul ev that ri'rk was not sufficient to disturb ins fool's paradise. Surely, he told himself, Irene ^ou!d pardon a masquerade undertaken in such a c*use, though not through him must the need ot as\-in<r her forgiveness come. Loyalty to his tow "id to the absent Cyril demanded that he should do ail in his power to preserve their mutual s'*c:-et. Pondering on these things, George xvla.nen \l:a.l,keti on wjtWufc heed to his surroundings. Tne Mlow glory of a htgh-hung harvest moon guided *'U footsteps so beneficently that he Was able to give nil his mind to happy dreams, in which the only rnisgiying was as to the attitude Sir Henry Selwood ould tako up to him as a suitor for his daughter. lie had cúmP. to the conclusion that his chances in that respect were about even, when, just as he was entering upon the Jast llwlr stretch of road before It ran into th village street, he bepame conscious of a man standing under the hedge, At the same moment the figure advanced into the middle of the road, and George saw that it was Ipan I wapfed a few words with you, so I waited, 8.¡d th mmiphairp. "You have had plenty of opportunities during the evening, but you did not E5otli:m particularly eager to sie them," George replied coldly. It. fact, it Etruck mo that you were being ostentatiously rude- st that it matters." He would have passed on, but Vipan placed him- Melf in his path, and not wishing for a vulgar row Unless it were forced upon him. he came to a halt. "I am afraid t-hat I must have failed to control ifiy feelings, but if you say it doesnlt matter, I Needn't apologise," said Vipan, offensively. Indeed, the words in conjunction with the tone, were plainly fin admission of intentional rudeness, and George elt his gthumoured contempt for his rival turning anger t j Corns! May what you have to say and be done !th. it," he answered shortly.. Vipan threw back his Inverness oap and produced Pocket-book from the breast of his drew^CMat— same pocket-book that we saw on the night ot doctor Pathurst's death. "I have here," he said, "Bank of England note> to the amount of £ 5,000, If you will consent to go away from here to-night and never return to Monk s Hadley those IH>1>-S shall be yours.. You could buy fine practice with such a sum. The nmbeirn fell athwart Vipan s face, bring- Ing its lineaments into clear relief, and George saw that the offer was made without any idea that it ""()uld be accepted. People do not carry such ftrnounts on their persons when dining out in the c°untrv and he very much doubted the existence of allied contents of the pocket-book. "Your offer, if you are a sane man, ,s a deliberate the young doctor broke out. There he 4dded as Vipan restored the note-case to his pocket, I "you wouldn't be in such a hurry to put away your dirty money if vou had expected to persuade me to take it What do you mean by attempting to bribe « man whem you never saw before in your lite. "Now are making rash statements, my young inend," sneered' Vipan "You wdl find before you are many hours older that I have seen you before, end Tat to so™ Purpose. You will be sorry soon t'hg.t you did not accept my offer and el-sar out." threat was quite incomprehensible to George W it sa incensed him that he laid his hand on Vip^WUr. apd slung him. none too gently, o"t t of hi* way. The millionaire was the slighter of the 4wo- and 'ti a rough af»d tumble fight could have had' no cWe against the stalwart young athlete m for some re«on, which tjie laWer did not dn ne i Ml long afterwards, he made some show ,.f resist- "■nee fi«oree promptly knocked him down, and as 'f by magic gleam of a bull's-eye lantern shone ■ Ar# vo" hurt, jr? Ho you wish to give this person in charge?" said a husky voice. And George, savage at his own want of restraint now, saw the village policeman helping his fallen enemy to his feet. Vipan took out his handkerchief and brushed the dust from hie clothes. The blow which had felled him had not been a brutal one, but he staggered and clutched at the polioeman's obsequiously prof- fered arm. "Thank you. Durke you came up in the nick of time. I believe he would have murdered me." he faltered faintly. "No, I don't think I will charge him. It is hardly worth while. But take a good look at him, my good fellow. This affair may have more importance than a mere assault." Better let me lock him up, sir-some tramp, I euppose," said Durke, and then casting the gleam of his lantern over George, he gave a somewhat theatrical etart. "You understand my meaning now, perhaps?" eaid Vipan, significantly. "Yes, sir, I understand," replied Durke, with a tremendous access of official gravity. And I ain't sure as my duty leaves me any option." Oh, yes. it does; I'll take the responsibility of that," Vipan interrupted him. "You are greatly to be commended for your zeal, and I should not recommend you to take this course if I thought it would lead to a miscarriage. See me home now, will you, Durke? I shall feel safer in your com- pany." In his annoyance at his own want of control George had stood by without offering any excuse or explanation. To commence his residence in the village with an assault on the largest landowner —an assault witnessed by the local constable—was not a happy augury, and he remembered, too, that in his heat he had been betrayed into a statement not strictly in accordance with fact. He had described himself as a man whom Vipan had never seen before in his life and it had been Vipan's rudeness in correcting that statement that had directly provoked him. His rival was doubtless re- ferring, George told himself, to the occasion when Irene had met, with the mishap in the Park, which he had for the moment forgotten. How that coincidence could be held over him as a threat lie was at a loss to imagine—any more than he could fathom the mysterious hints exchanged between Vipan and the policeman and the strange forbearance of the former in not charging him with the assault. "To have locked me up for knocking him down would have been a nice, handy revenge, and Mr. Leger Vipan does not strike me as the sort to lightly forego such an opportunity." he mused, as he watched the forme of the two men receding up the moonlit road towards the lodge-gates of Rookley Wood. CHAPTER V. CROWXER'S QUEST." George Maiden, in his character of the dead man'i nephew, had taken np his residence at The La." ches," by which name Doctor Bathurst's pretty cot- tage was known. Finding that the doctor's cook- housekeeper was an elderly woman, beyond tho breath of rustic scandal, and possessing the add;- tional advantage of having been engaged since Cyril's boyish visit to his uncle, he had retained her tsr- vices. On the morning after the dinner at the Priory ho was on the point of starting out on his round when tlii-i woman came to him and announced that lha policeman was at the back-door, asking for him. At first George's mind reverted to the scene of the pre- vious night; and he went to speak to Durke, fully expecting to find that Vipan had repented of his leniency, and that he would be served with a sum- mons. Though Durke's insolent manner confirmed this view, he was quickly undeceived by the constable s first words. "The hinquest is at noon, at the Swan you'll be wanted," said Durke, without any attempt at a salute or relaxing his lounging attitude against Ili.3 door-post. I had. of course, intended to be present, though I fear I cannot throw any light on the matter," said George. "It is a good many years since I saw my uncle. Is it proposed to call me u -t witness to identity? If so my evidence will be worse than use- less." "That's as may be; anyway I have the coroner's authority to bid you attend," said the policeman, darkly. And he lurched away. I don't think they want you to swear to poor old master, sir," said Mrs. Webb. the housekeeper, who had been hovering near. "Me and Jane, the parlourmaid, have been warned as we'll be required for that, and however we are to get through with it, him having been buried Oh, it will be a pure formality—won't take a second," said George, cutting short the gruesome details, and he went out to his patients rather re- lieved than otherwise by the reason for Durke's call. He was pleased, too, to find that he had himself well in hand, and that he had been able to curb a. natural desire to give Durke a bit of his mind on his demeanour. "I'll get square on the beggar with a blue pill the first time he consults me," he thought, as he turned into the street. I wonder if a man with that bull neck and brutal jowl would have been as tender to Vipan last night as he was if he hadn't been dealing with a millionaire." Even at that early hour—it was only ten o'clock- there were signs that the inquest, which George in his pre-occupation had regarded simply as a bore, not deeply affecting the purpose that had brought him to Monk's Hadley, was creating a stir in tho village. Groups of men in their Sunday clothes lounged about, talking in important whispers. Theso were the jurymen rejoic-iiv, in a "day off from the plough and the shop-counter. At the Swan several country carts were drawing up, suggestive of the interest taken in the old practitioner by his patients in neighbouring parishes. George Maiden walked on briskly. and having no serious cases to see got over his round by half-pa-st eleven, finishing at a cottage not far from the Priory. He was turning his steps towards the village again when he almost ran against Sir Henry Selwood and Irene coming out of their gates. They both shook hands with him, but George thought that he noticed a slight cookiess in the manner of the distinguished judge. You have an unpleasant task before you," said Sir Henry, as the three turned up the road to- gether. Tin Ali. you mean the inquest. replied George, Komewhat more lightly than the remark would have demanded from the real Cyril Bathurst. "Yes, it is a bit of a nuisance certainly." Have you formed any theory as to how your uncle came to be poisoned?" Sir Henry asked, gravely. w Nf.W as a matter of fact George had not greatly rn a troubled his head with the details of an event which he merely looked upon as a means to his own end,. But he saw now, a little too late perhaps, that ho must at least pretend to a decent interest in his supposed uncle's death if he was to be true to his assumed personality. So it was with a greater show of sympathy that he answered: "It seems to me to rest between death by mis- adventure and suicide the former more likely. The poor old man may have been tired with li I-, d a y's work and have taken the wrong drug in error. The judge heard the explanation in silence, but Irene accepted it with enthusiasm. "That must be it'" she cried. "We have known dear old Doctor Bathurst too long to believe that he would put an end to a life that he thorcughly enjoyed in his own v, The subject dropped, and they walked on, chat- ting on irifles, though George was half inclined to describe the scene between hin.self and Vipan on the previous night. Reflection showed him, how- Her, that he could not do that without divulging the attempted bribe bv Vipan that led up to it, and a sense of delicacy forbade mention of his new enemy's desire to get him out of the way. Not for worlds would In shock Irene's fresh young inno- cence by-enabling her to trace the quarrel to the iealou-y which he was convinced was its true cause. George little knew what dire effect his chivalrous reticence was to have on his future fortunes. Sir Henry and his daughter stopped at the post- office, whither they had been bound, and George went on to the Larches to mix his medicines and instruct the boy wh« took them round. This occu- pied some time, so that when he reached the bwan he found thit the inquest had already begun. The long clubroom in which the Court was being held was crowded to its fullest capacity-so much so that he had to push his way through a knot of spectator .jlustpred 'n the doorway. It was com- posed of working men whose acquaintance he had made since his residence in the village, but contrary to their usual custom not one of them touched their 1,ts to him. and added to his surprise by sidling from hiti-i as he passed in. The preliminaries of identification, and evidence 13 to the finding of the body, had been already taken, but Mrs. Webb, the housekeeper, yyas still upon tho witness-stand. The question which the (3pjiOficr was putting to her as George entered was so startlingly significant that he omitted to look round to see who was present in Court. "You are positive that the tumbler was quite clean and bore no traces of han,iiig been used"" the Coroner was asking. Quite sure, liir," was the woman's answer. There wert, no dregs in the I)otioiu--i-itotliillg, in fact, to make it necessary to wash the glass?" It was that clean I put it straight back on tin pantry shelf, sir." And to the best of your knowledge there were no other pink tumblers in the house?" ifir, that was the only one," replied Mts. Webb raising her handkerchief to her eyes. It as poor master's hobby, sir, to drink his whisky out of that glass before going to bed. If I'd placed linn any other he'd have sent it back and wanted to ^nu That did not opcur on the night in question? The pink tumbler, and the pink tumbler alone, was sup- plied to the d "That is so, sir. "You may stand down, Mrs Webb. The Coroner, a stout choleric-looking man, leaned back in his chair and surveyed the assembly on .hfh » great h»h h.d {„ tho Mo* intelligence the sisnifieance of he housekeepers ev:dence was apparent; >eL everyone was eager ,o hear his own thoughts put into official words. Gentlemen of the Jury-, said the Coroner, ad- dressing the row of perspiring bucolic faces on his right hand, this good woman s evidence increases your responsibility and mine You have heard from the Government Analyst that Doctor Bftthurst died from the effect of a poison as sudden as pruss.c ac.d in its action. That being so, he could not him-elt havo washed and wiped that tumbler if he had poisoned himself by acc dent or design. Nor would m he have had time to conceal or make away with any othtv yessel used for the purpose There must hive been someone else present in the deceased's study thW^enht!h« BOJBPOW tonfis ceased tha-tot at- mospliere of the crowded room began to vibrate and hum with one whispered word, and that word w?s— Murder I" "Silence! Call Cyril Bathurst cried the Coro- ner's officer. And George Maiden, who had just ob- served Vipan sitting at the Coroner's elbow, had :0 recollect himself before he answered to the spurious name. After that .short pause, however, he stepped forward to the witness-stand and at once began to realise the magnitude of the folly to which he was committed. If he was formally nsked to state his name he would have, in order to be true to his i,ith to his absent friend, to lay himself open to a charge of perjury. But the Coroner was too excited, by the turn things had taken, to trouble about trivial formali- ties, and at his first question George breathed more freelv. You have succeeded to the medical practice of the deceased, I believe?" asked the Coroner. s; I have," was the relieved reply. "When did you last see him?" Not during the last seven years I cannot re- call the exact date," said George, with perfect truth. "You swear to that?" retorted the Coroner, severely. "Yes," said George, wondering at the ferociry of his inquisitor. Then you can stand down." the Coroner snapped out, again astonishing the witness with the brevity of his examination. Judging by the Coroner s t manner George had begun to brace himself for ex posure as an imposter, for it was being gradually borne in upon him that he was the centre of curious and none too friendly glances from the spectators— glances which he could only account for by some detrimental rumour about him having gone abroad. His speedy release therefore came as a surprise and a relief. His self- gra-tul at ion was destined to be soon dis- pelled. "Call Leger Vipan," rang through the room and George saw his enemy leave his seat t > tender himself as a witness. What can he know about it?" George wondered. "If that little turn-up last night were the subjeet of the inquiry he couldn't be much keener on his job. Vipan's demeanour certainly betokened cagerne>s to unburden his mind. He freed the Coroner briskly, and while studiously avoiding George's eye. seemed to invite the sympathy and applause of the rest of the audience. "You have something to tell us bearing upon ih Cfse, Mr. Vipan?" the Coroner said, with a deferen- tial bow for the local magnate. "That will be for you, sir, to decide," replied Vipan, modestly. "It seemed to me of sufficient importance to bring forward, and I may add that I have been confirmed in that view by what has happened since—as lecently as yesterday." "Then, Mr. Vipan, as I have only been favoured with the general o*atline of your evidence, it will b? better for you to tell vour storv in your own way I might miss some vital pol-it if I were to procecd upon the plan of question and answer," the Coroner said with another bow, which was promptly ac cepted by the witness as an invitation to commence his statement. "The night of the 15th of August was very hot," Vipan began slowly, as though striving for extreme accuracy. "After I had dined, there being no guests with me at Rookley Wood, I sauntered int > the park to enjoy the cooler air out of doors, and finding it pleasant I passed through my lodge. ga-tea and prolonged my stroll through the viLage. Durinc the whole of my outward walk I met no one. There were lights in one or two upper window? of the cottages visible from the road, but everyone seemed to have retired for the night. On renchmg the end of the village street I turned, opposite tna Rectory, to retrace my steps homeward." "One moment, Mr. Vi;;an," the Coroner inrei- rosed nolitelv. "Can you at all fix the exact tunc f what you are, relating? "Luckily I can," was the reply, after a pause fm reflection. "As I turned to go back, the church clock struck a quarter to eleven. As I was on v strnlliiig sloii-IN, that would put my departure from my own grounds about twenty minutes earlier, li-e distance is a mile." "Oh thank you: that last is quite immateuai, smiled'the Coroner, giving a deprecatory wave of his hand. "I need hardly say that we are not in- terested in your movements except so far as tney may assist us to sift this matter. The time was what I wanted." (1T Vinan bowed and returned the smile. 1 q"|-<? understand that," he said suavely. But I should wish to have it all perfectly clear in the event of my beino- cross-examined upon these facts in another place. Well. sir. as you are aware, the late Doctor Bathurst's residence. The Larcnes stands at t.i junction of the main road with the lane runniniT, o Ponders Farm. The front entrance is in trie niai.i road, but there is also a side gate in the garden wal. about forty yards up the lane As I ^as the end of the lane I cast a glance «P an<l surprised at that time of night to see a man come out of the side gate, wheeling a bicycle. An undefined murmur ran round the room i t were shuffled and necks were craned to get a better view of the witness who was importing a new ele- ment into the case-the element of suspicion. "Were you close enough to note the mans ap- pearance?" asked the Coroner.. "Not at first," replied Yipan, "but curiosity led me to wait at the corner, and I observed hun narrowly as he mounted his bicycle and rode awav past the church along the London road. He was a man whom I ha.d never seen before—at that time. The marked emphasis on the last three word. plainly invited the Coroner's next question, put amidst breathless silence "You have seen him since?" "I have Vipan replied, dropping his voic to a suggestive whisper. And you can identify h.m—ycu know his name "I do—I was formally introduced to him yester- day," Vipan said, for the first time in his examina- tion fixing his eyes in a bold stare upon George Maiden. "There he is-vou have already heard his evidence—Doctor Cyril Bathurst, the dead man's Buccessor in the practice." Vipan folded his arms dramatically and nerved himself for a continued stare at George, while tne Coroner and his officer vainly tried to ,till of muttered comment that followed this start'.ing piece of evidence. As for George himself, stupefied by the dilemma in which he was caught, he cut but a sorry figure under the lash of what was vir- tually an accusation. He opened his mouth to shout "Liar!" at the false witness, but the word c died away on his lips as he remembered that ho could not prove what would have been an easy alibi without breaking his oath to the real Cvrii Bathurst and confessing that he had come to Monk's Hadley in an assumed character. He returned his enemy's stare with interest, but remained ;i 1-cnV. Tho important voice of the Coroner put an end to the immediate tension. "That w. I suppose, all you have to tell us. Mr. Vipan?" All that has to do directly with the night of ihe,of the death," was the reply. But this may be material. I was walking home from the hou-e- it is not necessary to be more precise—where I had just identified Doctor Cyril Bathurst, when he overtook me. I mentioned that I had seen him coming out of The Larches on the night of the— a—death, and he immediately sprang upon me. and would. I believe, have killed me but for the timely intervention of Constable Durke." The audience and the jury were getting u:,pd to surprises now, and they waited in breathless silence for more. But Vipan's tale was told. "That is all, sir," he added with a bow. The Coroner shifted a little uneasily in his chair, and cleared his throat. His experience had shown him what might prove to be a weak spot in the story, and he hesitated to put the question to the millionaire magnate, of Rookley Wood. But there was no way out of it. Why did you not give Doctor Cyril Bathurst into custody for the assault?" he asked. "Because," replied Vipan with studied delibera- tion, I thought that it would be unfair for him to have to come here and give his evidence to-dav pre- judiced by having this minor charge hanging over him." The answer, pregnant with a truly British senti- ment. of fair-play, was a veritable gallery hit, and elicited a round of applause which no one attempted to quell. Amid the excitement Vipan obeyed the Coroner's gesture to stand down and resumed his seat. Simon Durke took his place, and, as soon as silence had been obtained, corroborated in a. few words Vipan's account ù the assault. Hunder Providence, Squire Vipan owes his safety to me coming up in the nick of time," he concluded unctuously. Do ypti wish to be re-examined on, or to deny, these statements by witnesses on oath, Doctor Bathurst?" the Coroner inquired, looking sternly at George. 1,' "I deny everything except the assault, and that, as lVIr. Vipan knows, was provoked in quite another way than that related in his tissue of perjury," came the angry reply. Be god enough to favour the Court with your version of how it was provoked, then," the Coroner openly sneered. "I am debarred from offering any explanation the Court must draw its own conclusions," said Georcre, firmly. Well, then, gentlemen, you had bettor consider your verdict," said the Coroner, rustling his papers and turning to ihe jury. I do not know that I need make any suggestions beyond pointing out that it has been clearly established bv the evidence that Doctor Bathurst met his death by poison, and tV-at the poison must have been administered by someone who had an interest in concealing the traces of it. 1; the deceased had poisoned himself he would not have been likely to take so much trouble but it has been shown, from the rapid action of the drug used, that even had he wished to do so he could not have washed that tumbler. It only remains to say that no direct evidence has been given to show by whom the poison was administered. Certain sus- picious circumstances have been brought to light, which will greatly aid the police in the investigation which they will doubtless make, but I do not think that you could safely take the case further your- selves." The Coroner leaned back, to indulge in a whis- pered conversation with the inspector of police, while the local tradesmen put their heads together. The verdict was not long in coming: Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown." And as George Maiden walked out into the village street, the people drew away from him, whispering, pointing, and casting furtive glances. (To be contInued.)