"I don't remember. Nothing remarkable, I
should say."

"Did your mistress say anything to you on
the subject of the bottle of laudanum?"

"She asked me what I was looking at."

"Did she seem to be displeased that you had
perceived it?"

"Well—rather—perhaps," with great hesitation.

"' Rather.' Come, you must know."

"I can't say with certainty."

All these answers were given with the most
dogged sullenness.

"Why, how long ago was it?"

"Oh, it may have been a month or six weeks
before her death."

"Did your mistress leave the bottle where it
was after she had noticed that you had observed
it?"

"No."

"What did she do with it, then ?"

"She got out of bed, and put it away."

"And where did she put it?"

"She thrust it into the bosom of her dressing-gown,
as far as I can remember. I left the room
soon after, and saw no more of it."

"Now, Jane Cantanker," Mr. Steel resumed,
very seriously, " I have one more question to
ask you. Is this the only occasion on which you
have observed laudanum, or any other preparation
of opium, to be in the possession of the
deceased?"

The witness waited some seconds, and then
replied:

"Yes, that was the only occasion."

The witness was then told that she might
leave the box. She seemed much agitated, and
not a little exhausted by the length and arduousness
of the examination through which she had
passed.

The next person examined was the surgeon to
the police force, Dr. Giles. He deposed to having
been sent for hastily to the house in
Beaumont-street. The deceased was quite dead when
he arrived; had been so for perhaps two hours,
more or less. He directed that the body should
be left just as it was till he could return and
make a post-mortem examination, and he
especially intimated a wish that nothing should be
done that might remove the smell of opium,
which was very obvious, from deceased's mouth.
That injunction was given, because he thought
the presence of such smell was an important
indication in the case. When he returned in the
afternoon he was accompanied by a friend, and
they proceeded at once to investigate the cause
of death. He then went into all the medical
details of the case, stating at length, and with
many technicalities, how he had examined the
different organs of the deceased; how they were,
on the whole, healthy, though there were indications
of such a tendency to unsoundness, or
rather weakness, he would say, about the heart
as would render the deceased particularly
susceptible to the fatal effects of opium, or probably
any other narcotic influence. There was nothing
there, however, to be the cause of death. The
deceased might have lived for years with a heart
in that state—but for the opium. That was the
cause of death, beyond a doubt. He had
examined the stomach very carefully. There was
the remains of a meal found in it, and there was,
moreover, a certain amount of porter or stout.
He had detected unmistakable indications of the
presence of opium. He should say in the
form of laudanum. There was sufficient to cause
death, especially in a person whose heart was in
the condition in which lie had described the heart
of deceased to be. He had no hesitation in
stating his firm conviction, founded on considerable
professional experience, that in this case
the cause of death was the opium which he had
found in the body of deceased. He spoke very
confidently.

This gentleman's opinion was entirely
corroborated by his colleague, who had assisted him
in the examination. There was no doubt in his
mind either that the deceased lady had died
from the effects of poisoning by opium.

The chemist who sold the laudanum to
Gabrielle was next placed in the box. He simply
repeated what the reader has already heard,
mentioning the quantity sold, what it was
required for, and the date of the transaction. He,
moreover, identified the bottle which was found
in Mrs. Penmore's box as one which had come
from his establishment.

The evidence of the cause of death was thus
made complete. Moreover, the existence of the
poison by which the deceased lady died, in the
possession of the prisoner, was proved, and it
had also been shown that abundant opportunity
of administering such poison had been afforded
to the accused on the night preceding Miss
Carrington's death. It remained to strengthen—
though indeed it hardly appeared necessary—
the evidence as to motive. With this view some
of the late Miss Carrington's friends, some of
those residing at the neighbouring boarding-house,
were next called.

Captain Rawlings Scraper was placed in the
witness-box, and duly sworn.

Mr. Pry. You are a captain in her Majesty's
service?

Witness. I am.

Mr. Pry. At present on half-pay?

Witness. I beg to state that that is also the
case.

Mr. Pry. You were acquainted with the late
Miss Carrington?

Witness. Yes, I was— indeed, I may say that
I was well acquainted with her.

Mr. Pry. You were, doubtless, in the habit at
different times of conversing with her on a great
variety of topics?

Witness. Oh yes, a great variety. In fact, I
may say a very great variety. I was, it may be
interesting to the court to know, in the habit of
giving her advice—which she was good enough
to say she valued very highly—on a great many