“Well, that disposes of them,” said Rawson, and drawing up a chair, sat down facing the line of solemn people.

There were a few formalities to go through. A general agreement on the time of the murder—a few minutes before seven disposed of that, and the interrogation of Mrs. Stokes, the one eyewitness, followed.

She began well, telling the story she had told [Pg 120]Bassett. When she described her first view of Sybil running to the edge of the Point, Rawson interrupted with a question:

[Pg 120]

“Was she running fast, as if some one was after her, as if she was frightened?”

“Yes, she was running fast but I don’t know whether she was frightened. I wasn’t close enough to see anything like that, and I didn’t have time to see. Just as I was looking at her the shot came.”

“Did you notice the direction it came from?”

“No—it was like a sort of loud snap in the air. I heard it and she staggered along a few steps and went over.”

“Did you hear any sounds—footsteps? A person makes a noise on this rocky ground.”

“I didn’t hear a thing.” She leaned toward Rawson with haggard insistence. “I couldn’t hear anything. I was stunned. Mr. Bassett asked me that and you all seem to think I ought to have heard the person—the murderer—or tried to catch him. But I hadn’t any sense, I just [Pg 121]stood there paralyzed, not grasping what had happened.”

[Pg 121]

“Mr. Bassett says you went out on the rocks and tried to catch the body.”

“Oh, yes. Then I came back to life. I ran down into the hollow and out on the rocks as far as I could go. And she was going by on the current—her hair and her dress all whirled about. Oh God, why was I the one to see it!”

Stokes addressed her, his voice low and urgent:

“Flora, just try to answer quietly.”

She paid no attention to him, her eyes riveted on Rawson.

“And then you came back to the house?”

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