He had uttered the monosyllable so often it seemed to come
unconsciously from his lips. But he recognized almost as soon as
we did that it was not a natural reply to the last question, and,
making a gesture of apology, he added, with the same monotony of
tone which had characterized these replies:

"She spoke of her strange guest's unaccountable death more than
once, and whenever she did so, it was with an unnatural excitement
and in an unbalanced way. This was so noticeable to us all that
the subject presently was tabooed amongst us; but though she
henceforth spared us all allusion to it, she continued to talk
about the house itself and of the previous deaths which had occurred
there till we were forced to forbid that topic also. She was never
really herself after crossing the threshold of this desolate house
to be married. The shadow which lurks within its walls fell at that
instant upon her life. May God have mercy -"

The prayer remained unfinished. His head which had fallen on his
breast sank lower.

He presented the aspect of one who is quite done with life, even
its sorrows.

But men in the position of Coroner Z. can not afford to be
compassionate. Everything the bereaved man said deepened the
impression that he was acting a part. To make sure that this was
really so, the coroner, with just the slightest touch of sarcasm,
quietly observed:

"And to ease your wife's mind - the wife you were so deeply angered