This gave me many new thoughts, but before I could formulate them, I heard the coroner going on with his questions.
“Did Mr. Crawford visit you last evening?”
“Yes; he was at my house for perhaps half an hour or more between eight and nine o'clock.”
“Did he refer to the subject of changing his will?”
“He did. That was his errand. He distinctly stated his intention of making a new will, and asked me to come to his office this morning and draw up the instrument.”
“But as that cannot now be done, the will in favor of Miss Lloyd still stands?”
“It does,” said Mr. Randolph, “and I am glad of it. Miss Lloyd has been brought up to look upon this inheritance as her own, and while I would have used no undue emphasis, I should have tried to dissuade Mr. Crawford from changing his will.”
“But before we consider the fortune or the will, we must proceed with our task of bringing to light the murderer, and avenging Mr. Crawford's death.”
“I trust you will do so, Mr. Coroner, and that speedily. But I may say, if allowable, that you are on the wrong track when you allow your suspicions to tend towards Florence Lloyd.”
“As your opinion, Mr. Randolph, of course that sentiment has some weight, but as a man of law, yourself, you must know that such an opinion must be proved before it can be really conclusive.”