"No, no," he protested; "we can not do that; we can do nothing till
the coroner comes. It is necessary that he should see her just as
she was found. Besides, Mr. Jeffrey has a right to the same
privilege. We expect him any moment."

The beautiful head of the woman before us shook involuntarily, but
her lips made no protest. I doubt if she possessed the power of
speech at that moment. A change, subtle, but quite perceptible,
had taken place in her emotions at mention of her sister's husband,
and, though she exerted herself to remain calm, the effort seemed
too much for her strength. Anxious to hide this evidence of weakness,
she rose impetuously; and then we saw how tall she was, how the long
lines of her cloak became her, and what a glorious creature she was
altogether.

"It will kill him," she groaned in a deep inward voice. Then, with
a certain forced haste and in a tone of surprise which to my ear had
not quite a natural ring, she called aloud on her who could no longer
either listen or answer:

"Oh, Veronica, Veronica! What cause had you for death? And why do
we find you lying here in a spot you so feared and detested?"

"Don't you know?" insinuated the captain, with a mild persuasiveness,
such as he was seldom heard to use. "Do you mean that you can not
account for your sister's violent end, you, who have lived with her
- or so I have been told-ever since her marriage with Mr. Jeffrey?"

"Yes."