Page:Lippincotts Monthly Magazine-39.djvu/83

Rh "Had you known Mr. Henry Mainwaring before meeting him here?"

She bent her head, and answered, indifferently, "I had previous knowledge of him."

"Were your sentiments towards him of a—a friendly character?"

"No," she replied, firmly and distinctly. "I regarded him as an enemy."

At this point Judge Daly interposed. "I consider it my duty to inform you," he said, "that you stand in a very critical position. You are suspected—ah—in connection with the murder of the deceased gentleman. You are gravely and, it would appear, recklessly compromising your own case. I advise you, before going further, to select some legal representative to watch your interests. You need to be protected against yourself."

"Thank you; but I have already declined to engage counsel," she replied. "I understand what I am doing. I shall betray nothing that I care to conceal."

The judge muttered something, and pushed back his spectacles. The lawyer continued,—

"Do you care to conceal the reasons for the enmity you have admitted?"

"If Mr. Henry Mainwaring were alive," she answered, "I should take pleasure in telling, in this place, the cause I had to hate him. But he is dead, and I have no further quarrel with him. He has paid his debt, though not to me."

The audience were by this time as much excited as attentive, and no movement nor intonation of this beautiful and mysterious stranger was lost upon them. The next questions referred to her proceedings on the afternoon preceding the murder, to which her replies were in substance as follows:

"When I was told of the plan to entrap the burglars, I asked to be permitted to join the party, but they would not allow it. I made up my mind to be there, nevertheless; but I said nothing to any one about my determination. I accompanied the party down to the lake in the wagon: all went except Dr. Frank Mainwaring, who was confined to his room by illness. I had my gray horse which Mr. John Mainwaring gave me brought along, and also my riding-habit; the reason I gave was that I wished to ride round the lake the next morning; but the real reason was that I intended to ride back to Cedarcliffe that night.

"After arriving at the lake, we unpacked the wagon, stabled the horses, and made our preparations for the night in the log cabin. Then