When Janet said this her eyes filled with tears, and I could readily understand how it hurt the tender-hearted young girl to remember that her uncle's last words to her had been uttered in anger. This, however, did not seem to affect the coroner. He went steadily on, with his voice singularly lacking in inflections.
"What did you do after your uncle retired?"
"I sat in the drawing-room and read for an hour or so."
"And then?"
"Then I put out the lights and went to bed."
Janet seemed to think that this ended her examination, and started to return to her seat; but the coroner stopped her.
"Miss Pembroke," he said, "I must ask you a few more questions. Where was your servant?"
"She had gone to bed some time earlier—about nine o'clock, I should say."
"So that after your uncle left you you were alone?"