pon the unsuspicious
butler, they took up their station on either side of the dead, like a
couple of ill-omened mutes. They had placed an arrest upon the corpse;
it was theirs until their claim was satisfied, and they sat down to thus
watch and secure it. Pleasant occupation!

It may have been an hour later that Lady Isabel, leaving her own
chamber, opened noiselessly that of the dead. She had been in it several
times during the previous day; at first with the housekeeper; afterward,
when the nameless dread was somewhat effaced, alone. But she felt
nervous again this morning, and had gained the bed before she ventured
to lift her eyes from the carpet and encounter the sight. Then she
started, for there sat two strange-looking men--and not attractive men
either.

It darted through her mind that they must be people from the
neighborhood, come to gratify an idle and unpardonable curiosity. Her
first impulse was to summon the butler; her second, to speak to them
herself.

"Do you want anything here?" she quietly said.

"Much obleeged for the inquiry, miss. We are all right."

The words and tone struck her as being singular in the extreme; and they
kept their seats, too, as though they had a right to be there.

"Why are you here?" she repeated. "What are you doing?"

"Well, miss, I don't mind telling you, for I suppose you are his
daughter"--pointing his left thumb over his shoulder at the late
peer--"and we hear he have got no other relative anigh him. We have been
obleeged, miss, to perform an unpleasant dooty and secure him."

The words were like Greek to her, and the men saw that they were.

"He unfortunately owed a slight amount of money, miss--as you, perhaps,
be aware on, and our employers is in, deep. So, as soon as they heard
what had happened, they sent us down to arrest the dead corpse, and we
have done it."

Amazement, horror, fear, struggled together in the shocked mind of Lady
Isabel. Arrest the dead. She had never heard of a like calamity: nor
could she have believed in such. Arrest it for what purpose? What to do?
To disfigure it?--to sell it? With a panting heart and ashy lips, she
turned from the room. Mrs. Mason happened to be passing near the stairs,
and Isabel flew to her, laying hold of her with both hands, in her
terror, as she burst into a fit of nervous tears.

"Those men--in there!" she gasped.

"What men, my lady?" returned Mrs. Mason, surprised.

"I don't know; I don't know. I thin