“Nothing of any importance, I fancy,” I returned, for Miss Lloyd’s swoon seemed to me a surrender, and I had little hope now of any other direction in which to look.

But I resumed my attention to the coroner’s inquiries of Mr. Randolph.

In answer to a few formal questions, he stated that he had been Mr. Crawford’s legal adviser for many years, and had entire charge of all such matters as required legal attention.

“Did you draw up the late Mr. Crawford’s will?” asked the coroner.

“Yes; after the death of his wife—­about twelve years ago.”

“And what were the terms of that will?”

“Except for some minor bequests, the bulk of his fortune was bequeathed to Miss Florence Lloyd.”

“Have you changed that will in any way, or drawn a later one?”

“No.”

It was by the merest chance that I was looking at Gregory Hall, as the lawyer gave this answer.

It required no fine perception to understand the look of relief and delight that fairly flooded his countenance.  To be sure, it was quickly suppressed, and his former mask of indifference and preoccupation assumed, but I knew as well as if he had put it into words, that he had trembled lest Miss Lloyd had been disinherited before her uncle had met his death in the night.

This gave me many new thoughts, but before I could formulate them, I heard the coroner going an 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.”

“Yes, of course,” said Mr. Randolph, with a deep sigh.  “But let me beg of you to look further in search of other indications before you press too hard upon Miss Lloyd with the seeming clues you now have.”