There were many people in Barnstead on the day when the inquest was held on the body of Milly Lester. The youth and beauty of the poor girl, the tragic¹ circumstances of her death, and the knowledge, which was now spread widely abroad, that Dr. Lester was the assassin, all invested the affair with wondrous² interest. From far and near people poured into Barnstead to hear the evidence of the father's guilt³ even at second hand; and crowds repaired to the Winding⁴ Lane in order to examine the fatal spot. Never had such excitement been known in the somnolent⁵ village.  
The coroner and jury were assembled in the largest room of The Herne Arms, and after surveying the body of the victim, they called all necessary witnesses to testify to the manner of her death, and the guilt of him who had brought it about. Drek had prepared his case against Dr. Lester with great care, being now convinced by the strongest of circumstantial evidence that he was the murderer. As yet Lester had not been arrested, but Drek had kept him constantly under his own eye, and had in his pocket a warrant for his arrest. This he intended to execute as soon as the jury delivered their verdict. He had no doubt as to what the verdict would be.
 
Darcy Herne was present at the inquest, and several times he asserted his belief in the innocence⁶ of Dr. Lester. When Lester himself, pale and haggard, arrived at the inn, under the escort of Drek, the squire⁷ shook him by the hand in the warmest manner. Lester was much touched by this proof of friendship from one who had never regarded him with much approval.
 
"It is good of you to give me your hand, Herne," he said in a faltering⁸ voice, "particularly as you know the cloud that lies over my reputation."
 
"It is for that reason I do it, Lester. I believe you to be innocent."
 
"Ah," sighed Lester, passing his hand across his eyes, "I wish I could believe that myself."
 
Herne was rather amazed by this strange speech, and replied rather stiffly: "You must certainly know if you shot Milly or not?"
 
"That is just what I don't know," retorted Lester with a haggard look. "I left home under the influence of drink and with a pistol in my possession, angry with Milly for the way in which she was deceiving you. I recollect⁹ nothing after that until I found myself at dawn in my own garden; the events of the night have vanished from my mind; my memory is a complete blank. Who knows but what I may not have shot my poor Milly unknowingly?"
 
"H'm!" said Herne, thoughtfully; "in a condition like that you would certainly act in accordance with the uppermost thought in your mind. Was it to kill Milly?"
 
"God forbid! Even in my drunken frenzy¹⁰ I had no thought of harming my own flesh and blood. I wanted to kill the man who was to meet her--Lucas Lovel."
 
"How do you know that he was going to meet her on that night?" asked Herne, eagerly.
 
"I did not know for certain," replied Lester, "but as Milly had not come home, I thought she might be with Lovel. She met him before, you know."
 
"Yes, I know," said Darcy, gloomily. "Well, if you went out to kill Lovel, you would not shoot at your own daughter."
 
"She might have thrown herself in the way to protect Lovel."
 
"I doubt it. But only Lovel can prove that, and he denies that he met her on that night."
 
"Do you believe him?"
 
"No!" said Herne savagely¹¹. "I received a note in London which advised me that they were going to meet."
 
"Who wrote the note?"
 
"I can't tell you yet. The person who wrote it wishes to remain unknown for the present. But I believe that Lovel met Milly and killed her because she would not marry him. Mind you," continued Herne, energetically, "I have no proof of this; but I mean to obtain proof in order to hang Lovel and save you."
 
"I'm afraid I'm past saving," sighed Lester. "Even Drek believes me to be guilty, and, as I cannot recall the events of the night, I dare not swear that I am innocent. Oh, God! that I should be in such a position! ignorant of my own acts; and all on account of that accursed drink! I am rightly punished for my vice¹²."
 
Herne said nothing, for the present was no time for reproaches, but, taking Lester by the arm, he led him into the room where the jury were seated. Already the proceedings¹³ had begun, and the witnesses summoned by Inspector¹⁴ Drek were giving evidence. Mr. Chaskin was called first, and deposed¹⁵ that after evening service on Sunday he had been summoned to a house on the other side of the common to pray with a dying man. He returned to Barnstead by the short way of the Winding Lane, and on entering the wood he had stumbled over a body which was lying in the roadway near the stile. Thinking that she had fainted--for by the touch of the garments and the faint glimmer¹⁶ of the moonlight he perceived that the deceased was a woman--he lighted a match to see who she was, and what was the matter with her. Then he recognised the face of Millicent Lester, and that she was dead. There was a wound in the back of the head. The body was lying face downward, and he had to turn it over in order to perceive the features. At once he went on to The Herne Arms and roused up four or five men. These returned with him to the stile and carried the body to the house of Dr. Lester, whence it was removed subsequently to the inn for the inquest. Mr. Chaskin said he heard no shot, and that he had seen no one about either on the common or in the wood. It was about eleven, or a little after, when he discovered the body. He had no idea as to who could have killed the deceased.
 
The next witness was Dr. Rollin, the rival to Lester in Barnstead, and the medical man who had examined the body. He deposed that he had made the examination on Monday morning. The deceased had been shot from behind, and the bullet had passed right through the brain. It had entered a little above the nape of the neck, and had come out on one side of the nose. Death must have been instantaneous. He examined the body at nine o'clock on Monday morning; and from its condition he could state that death must have taken place between eight and nine of the previous night; twelve hours, more or less, elapsed, as he believed, between the death and the examination.
 
Inspector Drek stated that he had been called to Barnstead from Marborough by the information that Millicent Lester had been murdered. He came at once to the house of the deceased. She had died from the effects of a pistol shot, as Dr. Rollin had stated. He had examined the spot where the body had been found, but could discover no evidence there likely to lead to the identification of the criminal. The pistol could not be found; and as the bullet had passed right through the head of the deceased it could not be found either. The spot where the body was discovered was of a deep-red clay, somewhat softened¹⁷ by recent rain. There were many footmarks about, but these were probably those of the bearers who had brought home the body.
 
Iris¹⁸ Link, on being sworn, declared that the deceased had said nothing to her about going to the Winding Lane on that night. She (deceased) had left St. Dunstan's Church during the service and had not been seen alive since leaving. Witness did not know why deceased had left. She knew that the dead girl was in the habit of meeting Mr. Lucas Lovel, but did not know for certain if she had met him on t............