"I fear it does not help us much," said the Coroner, with a sigh.
"There is no mention of any of the events of that afternoon."
"Plain as a pikestaff to me," said Miss Howard shortly. "It
shows clearly enough that my poor old friend had just found out
she'd been made a fool of!"
"It says nothing of the kind in the letter," the Coroner pointed
out.
"No, because Emily never could bear to put herself in the wrong.
But I know her. She wanted me back. But she wasn't going to own
that I'd been right. She went round about. Most people do.
Don't believe in it myself."
Mr. Wells smiled faintly. So, I noticed, did several of the
jury. Miss Howard was obviously quite a public character.
"Anyway, all this tomfoolery is a great waste of time," continued
the lady, glancing up and down the jury disparagingly.
"Talk--talk--talk! When all the time we know perfectly well----"
The Coroner interrupted her in an agony of apprehension:
"Thank you, Miss Howard, that is all."
I fancy he breathed a sigh of relief when she complied.
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