“And then?” prompted the Coroner.
“Then I went to my room, but I didn’t retire. I sat thinking over what Miss Carrington had said to me. And as I thought about it, I concluded that this time I was really dismissed from her secretaryship. And that made me feel very sorry, for it is a good position and I’ve no wish to lose it. So,—after a time, I began to think I would go to Miss Carrington’s room and if she were still up, I would beg her forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness for what?”
“For any fancied grievance she might have against me. I have always tried to please her, but she was, er,—difficult, and it was not easy to do the right thing at all times.”
“Did you go to her room?”
“I went to the door——”
“At what time?”
“Soon after one o’clock. Not more than five or ten minutes after.”
There was a rustle of excitement. The poison was said to be administered at about one! Did this fair doll-like girl know the secret of the tragedy?
“Proceed, Miss Frayne; tell the story of anything you saw at that time.”