"He saw no one save Mr. Lemby and the man who escaped on the bicycle?"
"You're right there, if ever you was right in your life," was Mrs. Vence's reply.
"Did he expect Mr. Lemby?"
"No, he didn't. He was quite surprised when he came unexpected, as you might say. But he told me to show him into the drorin'-room, and went up himself to have a chat."
"And the second visitor?'
"Oh, he expected him," said the witness, with emphasis, "for I heard him say, friendly-like: 'Oh, you've come!' or something like that. He took him into the study when he came, flying down the stairs at the ring. Then--"
Here Mrs. Vence went on to repeat how she had been sent to the kitchen to return later with cake and wine. Afterwards she related what had occurred until the arrival of Hall and the escape of the presumed criminal.
"Did you hear any noise of quarrelling while you were in the kitchen?"
"No. I didn't. The kitchen's too far off."
The Coroner asked other questions, and received more or less satisfactory answers, as Mrs. Vence seemed anxiously eager to be frank. But, curiously enough, no mention was made of the missing letter left by Hall. Either Purse had not told the Coroner about this, or it had slipped his memory. Finally Mrs. Vence left the witness-box to give place to Mr. Oliver Lemby.