“And after that?”

“A whole lot more followed, which Oi didn’t catch, fer Oi am no avesdropper.  But Oi did hear Mrs. Langmore, in a perfect rage, cry out that she’d kill Miss Margaret if the girrul didn’t moind her.”

“And then?”

“Miss Margaret said she would do as she pl’ased—­that she was her own mistress—­an’ Oi was glad to hear her say it.  Mrs. Langmore went on wid her quarrel—­sure, an’ she had the divil’s own tongue, so she had.  Thin she must have caught hould av Miss Margaret, fer Oi heard the girrul cry out to lit go or she’d stroike her down.  Thin there was more wurruds, hotter an’ hotter, an’ Mrs. Langmore said she would make the girrul mind as sure as fate, an’ thin Miss Margaret got roused up an’ she said fer Mrs. Langmore to beware, that she had Southern blood in her veins, an’ she wouldn’t be accountable fer what she did, if her stepmother wint too far.”

There was a pause, and a murmur ran the round of the little courtroom.  The testimony seemed to be highly important and many shook their heads.  The girl and her stepmother had certainly had a bitter quarrel, the girl had hot Southern blood in her veins, and the bitterness had ended in the tragedy.  In the minds of many it was only a question of what the extenuating circumstances might be.

“Was Mr. Langmore present at this quarrel?” asked the coroner, after another pause.

“He was at the breakfast table, but afther that he wint to the bank.”

“Did you hear anything more?”

“Not right away, sur.  Oi wint to me work.  Whin Mr. Langmore came from the bank Oi heard him talkin’ to Miss Margaret.”

“What was said then?”

“Oi dunno exactly, exceptin’ that he said he was sorry she an’ her stepmother had quarreled, an’ he wanted her to make it up wid his woife.”

“And what did Miss Margaret say to that?”

“She said that all she wanted was to be left alone.”

“What else?”

“Oi didn’t hear anything more, as Oi wint to the ciller fer coal.  By an’ by Oi see Miss Margaret in the garden cryin’.  Oi wanted to go to her, but Mrs. Langmore kim to the kitchen an’ Oi had to attind to me wurruk.”

“How did Mrs. Langmore seem to appear when she came to the kitchen?”

“Sure an’ she was very excited an’ findin’ more fault than iver.  She stayed only a few minutes, an’ thin wint to the library, an’ that was the very last Oi saw av her.  Oi’m sorry she’s dead, but she had that divil’s own temper!” And the domestic heaved a long sigh.

“That will do.  You may sit down.”  The coroner looked around the courtroom.  “Is Doctor Bardon present?”

For reply the young physician came forward from one side of the room.  He looked pale and slightly troubled.  In a low voice he corroborated the testimony already given regarding the finding of the two bodies, and told what he had done in his effort to restore Mr. Langmore to life.