"I am sure," I said, "that I now express Lady Hartmore's sentiments
as well as my own, when I demand that this inquest be adjourned until
a post-mortem examination has been made on the body of the dead man.
The symptoms which he describes in the letter which I have just read
aloud distinctly point to a disease of the inner ear, well known to
the medical faculty, although not of common occurrence. I will ask the
coroner to take immediate steps to get the services of two independent
doctors to conduct the post-mortem, at which I should wish to be
present."
My words were followed by a slight pause--the coroner then agreed to my
wishes, and the inquest was adjourned.
The post-mortem took place on the afternoon of that same day, and the
results amply accounted for the strange symptoms which poor Randall
had so faithfully described in his last letter to his mother. On the
right side of that portion of the base of the skull which contains
the delicate organs of hearing, we found a small, bony excrescence
growing down into the labyrinth or inner ear. This, though small, was
undoubtedly the cause of the terrible attacks of vertigo which the poor
fellow complained of, and in one of which he met with his tragic death.
The coroner's inquest was resumed on the following day, and, of course,
Carleton was abundantly exonerated.
It was two years afterwards, however, before I accidentally saw in the
_Times_ the announcement of his marriage with Miss Farnham.
_Portraits of Celebrities at Different Times of their Lives._