"I cannot be absolutely positive, your honor," I said, "but of this I am certain. I had no knowledge of Mr. Orton's presence until he lighted the study. Whether he was already in the room when Mrs. Darwin went in, or whether he entered behind me, I am not prepared to say."
"That's not so!" cried Orton, his face more pallid than ever. "I was out in the hall, your honor, I was out in the hall!"
The detective said something to him in an undertone, whereupon he subsided tremblingly, but it was very plain to be seen that the coroner, who had not been previously impressed with the man and who had since come to regard him in the light of a sycophant, began to be suspicious of the secretary, eyeing him with great disfavor, wondering, no doubt, whether he were as innocent as he gave out. I began to breathe more freely for Ruth, but at the coroner's next words my hopes were dashed once more.
"Knowing that Mrs. Darwin was in the study, why did you give the police the impression last night that she had heard the shot from upstairs?"
"She was ill. I didn't want her disturbed," I explained.
"In other words, you feared to tell the truth," he commented.
I made no answer. Protestations would only have made a bad matter worse.
"Mr. Davies, you know, of course, that if a man dies intestate, his wife inherits his property?"
I nodded, but was decidedly puzzled.
"Mr. Darwin died intestate," he continued quietly, watching to note the effect upon me.