o his assistance.

"Go! fetch Dr. Bilhane," said Mr. Newton, as soon as they had laid the
helpless body on the bed. "Though I doubt if he can do anything. The old
man is gone."

CHAPTER IX.

"TEMPTATION."

To Katherine, who was in her own room, the sound beneath came with a
subdued force, and knowing Mr. Newton was with him, she thought it
better to stay where she was, for it never struck her that Mr. Liddell
had fallen.

When, therefore, Mrs. Knapp, with that eagerness to spread evil tidings
peculiar to her class, rushed upstairs to announce breathlessly that she
was going for the doctor, but that the poor old gentleman was quite
dead, Katherine could not believe her.

She quickly descended to the parlor, where she found Mr. Newton standing
by the fire, looking pale and anxious.

"Oh, Mr. Newton, he cannot be dead!" cried Katherine. "He seemed
stronger this morning, and he has fainted more than once. Let me bathe
his temples." She took a bottle of eau-de-Cologne from the sideboard as
she spoke.

"My dear young lady, both your servant and I have done what we could to
revive him, and I fear--I believe he has passed away. The start and the
triumph of finding himself the last survivor of the Tontine association
were too much for his weak heart. I would not go in if I were you: death
is appalling to the young."

Katherine stopped, half frightened, yet ashamed of her fear. "Oh yes; I
must satisfy myself that I can do nothing more for him. Can it be
possible that he will never speak again--never search for news of that
other poor old man?" She went softly into the next room, followed by
Newton, and approaching the bed, laid her hand gently on his brow. "How
awfully cold!" she whispered, shrinking back in spite of herself at the
unutterable chill of death. "But he looks so peaceful, so different from
what he did in life!" She stood gazing at him, silent, awe-struck.

"Come away," said Newton, kindly. "The doctor will be here, I trust, in
a few minutes, and will be able to give a certificate which will save
the worry of an inquest."

Katherine obeyed his gesture of entreaty, and went slowly into the
front room, where she sat down, leaning her elbows on the table and
covering her face with her hands, while Mr. Newton closed the door.

It was all over, then, her hopes and fears; the poor wasted life, as
much wasted and useless as if spent in the wildest and most extravagant
follies, was finished. What had