"Yes."

"And you thought him ill?"

"I feared he was dead, he looked so white and still. But I thought it might be a paralytic stroke, or something that would cause an appearance similar to that of death."

"Did you touch the body?"

"No." Miss Pembroke gave a slight shudder, which seemed to be not without its effect on the coroner.

"Why not?"

At this she looked extremely white and her lip quivered slightly, but with a sudden accession of extreme dignity she drew herself up proudly and answered:

"I saw no occasion to do so, and I deemed the proper thing was to send at once for our family physician."

Still the coroner eyed her in a peculiar way, I thought, as, without cessation, he continued to question her.