Page:Alice Stuyvesant - The Vanity Box.djvu/109

 "There is no one whom you could possibly suspect of having such a grudge?"

Sir Ian's pale face reddened with a sudden rush of blood which flowed over it, to the roots of his dark hair. "I do not think that a fair question," he said, "and I refuse to answer it. It ought to be enough that I know of no person who, even with a grudge, I should believe capable of murder."

"I am afraid I must insist on your answering the question," said the coroner, feeling miserable, and looking as miserable as he felt.

"Very well, then, I suspect no one," said Sir Ian.

"Remember, you are on oath."

"You have my answer." And the soldier-face was very stern and grim.

Greatly as Mr. Samways liked and admired Sir Ian Hereward, heartily sorry as he was for the ex-soldier's tragic affliction, and deeply as he regretted the official necessity of asking disagreeable questions (some of which had become necessary because of discoveries just made), he would not have been human, he would not have had a proper respect for his own calling, if he had not found himself slightly nettled by the attitude his chief witness now took. It defied him, set him at naught both as man and coroner; and as he had tried his best to be considerate throughout the whole examination, he thought that he had deserved a different tone from Sir Ian. Several details into