"An inquest was held yesterday at the Hare and Hounds on the body of Beatrice Lockyer, a young lady residing with her stepfather at 79 Lamb's Terrace, who met her death by suffocation. The coroner said this was a sad case, the deceased being young and apparently in good health on the night of the occurrence. The facts appeared to be very simple, and the jury would have little difficulty in arriving at a verdict. The first witness called was Mr. Nisbet, the deceased's stepfather, who gave his evidence with manifest distress.
"'What relation do you bear to the deceased?'
"'At the time of her mother's death the deceased was sixteen years old?'
"'Did her death affect the deceased in any particular way?'
"'She was deeply grieved at the loss, but apart from this natural feeling there was no change in her.'
"'Have you observed any change in her during the last few days or weeks?'
"'No; we had had domestic worries with servants, such as happen to most housekeepers in London, but they had passed away, and as we had determined to reside abroad we regarded them rather with amusement. We looked forward to an easier life in a foreign country.'
"'On the night of your stepdaughter's death, at what hour did she retire to her room?'
"'Who was in the house besides yourselves?'
"'You had a servant left. What became of her?'
"'It was arranged that she should remain in our service on the Continent, and we sent her on before us.'
"'To Lucerne. I had taken a châlet in Vitznau, and she was to proceed there to see to the rooms, and to await our arrival.'
"'How is it that you and the deceased remained in the house when there were no servants in it?'
"'It was against my desire. I wished my daughter to go to a hotel, but she refused. She said we could manage very well at home. She had an aversion to English hotels, and was never happy in one. As we were to leave London the next day, I humored her.'
"'Can you give us any explanation of the cause of her aversion to our hotels?'
"'She was in the habit of saying that they were so different to Continental hotels--so stiff and formal. But I do not think that was quite the reason. She was nervously distrustful of herself in the society of strangers, and was, I regret to say, of a melancholy disposition.'