"I'm positive it is not mine," returned Miss Lloyd, without undue
emphasis, but with an air of dismissing the subject.

"Is your maid present?" asked the coroner. "Let her be
summoned."

Elsa came forward, the pretty, timid young girl, of German
effects, whom I had already noticed.

"Have you ever seen this bag before?" asked the coroner, holding
it up before her.

"Yes, sir."

"When?"

"This morning, sir. Lambert showed it to me, sir. He said he
found it in Mr. Crawford's office."

The girl was very pale, and trembled pitiably. She seemed afraid
of the coroner, of Lambert, of Miss Lloyd, and of the jury. It
might have been merely the unreasonable fear of an ignorant mind,
but it had the appearance of some more definite apprehension.

Especially did she seem afraid of the man, Louis. Though perhaps
the distressed glances she cast at him were not so much those of
fear as of anxiety.

The coroner spoke kindly to her, and really seemed to take more
notice of her embarrassment, and make more effort to put her at