ed at one another.

"Let me get you something, father?" said Sue, moving towards the
sideboard;--"a little brandy?"--and with a tremulous hand she poured it
out, and held it to his lips.

At the same time she gently withdrew Leo's arm, substituting her own,
and Leo made no resistance. Their father looked them dazed--but the
brandy momentarily revived him.

"I--suppose I go to bed, eh? I'm tired--that's what's the matter with
me. Isn't that what's the matter with me, Sue? I'm tired--tired,"--his
head sank upon his breast. "Tired--tired!" he muttered.

"Do not lose a moment, Maud;" said Sue, aside.

"Let me go;" said Leo, darting forward.

She was nimbler of foot than Maud--but Maud went also.

"Hey, what? Where are they all off to?" With an effort General Boldero
straightened himself and made a pitiful effort to compose a face already
distorted. "Where--are they going?"--the next minute he fell in a heap
upon the floor.

And by the time Dr. Craig, imperatively summoned, dashed through the
doorway which stood open awaiting him, all need of his presence was at
an end.

"It could not have been averted, my dear Miss Sue;" in moments such as
this the doctor invariably said "Miss Sue". "I have had my eye on
your--your poor father for a while back. I kind of opined he was
breaking. But it must have been a terrible shock for you all;"--and he
shook a sympathetic head to and fro.

"Oh, Dr. Craig!"

"Aye, aye!" He patted her shoulder. "Aye, aye!"

"We were so unprepared."

"Prepared or unprepared, my dear lady, it's all the same when it comes.
And it was a peaceful end--not a long, tormenting illness. Now then, who
have you got to come and look after you all?"

The practical accents smote almost brutally upon her ear, and she lifted
her tear-stained face to his in helpless appeal.

"You must have someone, some man, to look after things. You can't
wrestle with them alone. There's that cousin of yours, the--" it was on
the tip of his tongue to say, "tha heir"; for he was acquainted with all
the Boldero family circumstances--but he caught himself up in time. He
recalled that he had never seen the heir at the Abbey.

"Not for worlds, if you mean our cousin Anthony," said Sue, with a
decision that confirmed his prudence. "He has never--we have never been
on any but the most formal terms with him." (An exchange of venison and
pheasants once a year had indeed been their limit, and the doctor
guessed as much.)

"But