“Will you let me have the diamond ring?”

“Yes, sir.”  She took it off.  “But please be careful of it, for it—­it is very precious to me.”

The coroner nodded.  “That is all just now,” and as Margaret let fall the veil again, he called Doctor Bardon to his side.  A whispered conversation ensued, and the young physician left with the precious circlet—­Margaret’s engagement ring—­in an envelope.

“Margaret, you should not have let him have that ring,” whispered Raymond.

“How could I help it?” was the low answer.  “Oh, this is terrible!  I feel as if everybody was trying to look me through and through!”

“I can’t understand why Mr. Adams is not here,” went on the young man.  “Perhaps he has found some important clew and is following it up,” he added hopefully.

“They are bound to convict me, Raymond!  Isn’t it horrible?”

“They shall never do it, never!” cried the young man.  And then a sharp rapping on the desk terminated the brief conversation and restored quietness to the little courtroom.

CHAPTER XIII

THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE

The next witness called was Mrs. Morse, who told briefly how she had been placed in charge of the upper part of the Langmore mansion shortly after the tragedy, and how she had been watching Margaret.  She said the girl had had only a few visitors, mentioning Raymond Case and a stranger from New York.

“Who was the stranger?” asked Coroner Busby.

“A Mr. Adams.  He’s either a lawyer or a detective.”

“Oh!”

“I brought Mr. Adams to see Miss Langmore,” put in Raymond.  “Wasn’t that all right?”

“Certainly—­certainly,” answered the coroner hastily.

“I have kept the best watch on Miss Langmore that I could,” went on the woman.  “You told me to do it.”

“Has Miss Langmore had anything to say about her father?”

“She seems to be very sorry that he is dead.”

“What did she say about Mrs. Langmore?”

“She does not seem to care much about her stepmother.”

“Have you discovered anything unusual, Mrs. Morse, that had to do with this tragedy?”

“Well, I don’t know.  I have looked around a bit, and among other things I found this.  It was in Miss Langmore’s dressing case.”

As she spoke the woman held up a small bottle.  It was marked chloroform and was empty.

“Anything else?”

“With the empty bottle I found the half of a big silk handkerchief.  It was wrapped around the bottle and had Miss Langmore’s monogram in the corner.  I went on hunting around the house and I found the other half of the handkerchief in a dark corner of the upper hallway, not far from where Mrs. Langmore’s body was found.”

At this announcement there was a buzz of excitement.  All present looked at the witness and then at Margaret.  The girl had thrown aside her veil once more, and was standing up, with a face as pale as death itself.