"I have brought it with me."
Lady Wharton handed the letter to the Coroner, who read it aloud:
"Mr. Samuel Boyd presents his compliments to Lady Wharton, and will have the pleasure of waiting upon her ladyship on Thursday night with the bills which he forgot to return last Friday evening, and with the additional advance her ladyship requires. Mr. Boyd hopes that her ladyship will be prepared with the jewels she speaks of, and that they will be adequate security for the increase in the loan.
"Catchpole Square, N., 5th March, 1896."
Lady Wharton: "And people come here and swear that at the time the man wrote that letter he had been dead five days! Can anything be more preposterous?"
The Coroner: "We shall have witnesses before us who are familiar with Mr. Boyd's handwriting, and this letter will be submitted to them. Have you the visiting card Mr. Boyd gave your servant in Bournemouth?"
"Here it is."
"Could you identify the jewels?"
"I can swear to them, if they are fortunately recovered."
"That is all I have to ask you at present, Lady Wharton. If Lord Fairfax is present perhaps he will come forward."