whom Melky had seen the night before was in charge. Melky drew her aside.

"I say!" he said, with an air of great mystery. "A word with you, miss!--
private, between you and me. Can you tell me what like was that fellow
what you believed to ha' lost that there cuff stud you showed me in Mrs.
Goldmark's desk?--you know?"

"Yes!" answered the young woman promptly. "Tall--dark--clean-shaved--very
brown--looked like one of those Colonials that you see sometimes--wore a
slouch hat."

"Not a word to nobody!" warned Melky, more mysteriously than ever. And
nodding his head with great solemnity, he left the eating-house, and
hurried away to the Coroner's Court.



CHAPTER EIGHT


THE INQUEST

Until he and Ayscough walked into this particular one, Lauriston had never
been in a Coroner's Court in his life. He knew very little about what went
on in such places. He was aware that the office of Coroner is of exceeding
antiquity; that when any person meets his or her death under suspicious
circumstances an enquiry into those circumstances is held by a Coroner,
who has a jury of twelve men to assist him in his duties: but what Coroner
and jury did, what the procedure of these courts was, he did not know. It
surprised him, accordingly, to find himself in a hall which had all the