That this feeling was strong
enough to induce her to take her life is a source of unspeakable
grief to me, but one for which you must find explanation, as I have
so often said, in the terrors caused by the dread event at the
Moore house, which recalled old tragedies and emphasized a most
unhappy family tradition."
The coroner paused a moment to let these words sink into the ears
of the jury, then plunged immediately into what might be called the
offensive part of his examination.
"Why, if your wife's death caused you such intense grief, did you
appear so relieved at receiving this by no means consoling
explanation?"
At an implication so unmistakably suggestive of suspicion Mr.
Jeffrey showed fire for the first time.
"Whose word have you for that? A servant's, so newly come into my
house that her very features are still strange to me. You must
acknowledge that a person of such marked inexperience can hardly be
thought to know me or to interpret rightly the feelings of my heart
by any passing look she may have surprised upon my face."
This attitude of defiance so suddenly assumed had an effect he
little realized. Miss Tuttle stirred for the first time behind her
veil, and Uncle David, from looking bored, became suddenly quite
attentive. These two but mirrored the feelings of the general
crowd, and mine especially.
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