All that Hollinshaw had said was quite true.
It was quite true that he had gone to Multenius's pawnshop about five-
thirty of the previous afternoon, on his own business. He had looked in
through both doors and window before entering the side-door: he wanted to
know who was in the shop--whether it was Mr. Multenius, or his grand-
daughter. He wanted to know that for a simple reason--he had never done
business with Mr. Multenius, never even seen him that he remembered, but
he had had one transaction with Miss Wildrose, and he wished, if possible,
to do his business with her. As a matter of fact he saw nobody inside the
shop when he looked in through the front door and the window--so he went
round to the side-entrance.
All this had come in answer to questions put by the Coroner--who now
paused and looked at Lauriston not unkindly.
"I daresay you are already aware that there is, or may be, some amount of
suspicious circumstances attaching to your visit to this place yesterday
afternoon," he said. "Do you care to tell the court--in your own way--
precisely what took place, what you discovered, after you entered the
pawnshop?"
"That's exactly what I wish to do," answered Lauriston, readily.
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