was always a Bible and a Prayer Book close to her hand. She was wheeled
into church each Sunday--when it was fine, that is. The Major saw to
that.... I couldn't help feeling sorry she hadn't rung and asked me to
move the Book for her, for it is a big Bible, with very clear print. She
was following the words with her finger, and that was a thing I had
never seen her do before with any book. As she did not turn round, I
said to myself that it was better not to disturb her. So I just backed
very quietly out of the door again. I shall always be glad," she said,
in a lower tone, "that I saw her like that."

"And then," interposed Howse, "quite a long time went on, ma'am, and we
all got to feel very uneasy. We none of us liked to go up--not one of
us. But at last three of us went up together--Cook, me, and Ponting--and
listened at the door. But try our hardest, as we did, we could hear
nothing. It was the stillness of death!"

"Yes," said Ponting, her voice sinking to a whisper, "that's what it
was. For when at last I opened the door, there lay my poor mistress all
huddled up in the chair, just as she had fallen back. We sent for the
doctor at once, but he said there was nothing to be done--that her heart
had just stopped. He said it might have happened any time in the last
two years, or she might have lived on for quite a long time, if all had
gone on quiet and serene."

"We've left the Bible just as it was," said Howse slowly. "It's just
covered over, so that the Major, if ever he _should_ come home again,
though I fear that's very unlikely"--he dolefully shook his head--"may
see what it was her eyes last rested on. Major Guthrie, if you would
excuse me for saying so, ma'am, has always been a far more religious
gentleman than his mother was a religious lady. I feel sure it would
comfort him to know that just before her end she was reading the Book."

"It was open at the twenty-second Psalm," added Ponting, "and when I
came in that time and saw her without her seeing me, she must have been
just reading the verse about the dog."

"The dog?" said Mrs. Otway, surprised.

"Yes, madam. 'Deliver my soul from the sword: my darling from the power
of the dog.'"

Howse here chimed in, "Her darling, that's the Major, and the dog is the
enemy, ma'am."

He paused, and then went on, in a brisker, more cheerful tone:

"I telegraphed the very first thing to Mr. Allen--that's Major Guthrie's
lawyer, ma'am. The Major told me I was t