Lane, and hastening his steps lest he might
be further delayed, came quickly upon the back premises of the
carpenter's shop, where the sound of hammer and chisel and saw made
quite a clamour in the quiet air.

"They are busy here at all events," muttered Joseph, as he pushed
open the gate of the yard, and in truth they were busy within; but
yet the sight that presented itself to his eyes was anything hut a
cheerful one, for every man in the large number assembled there was
at work upon a coffin. Coffins in every stage of construction stood
everywhere, and the carpenters were toiling away at them as if for
dear life. Nothing but coffins was to be seen; and scarcely was one
finished, in never so rude a fashion, but it was borne hurriedly
away by some waiting messenger, and the master kept coming into the
yard to see if his men could not work yet faster.

"They say they must bury the corpses uncoffined soon," Joseph heard
him whisper to his foreman as he passed by. "No bodies may wait
above ground after the first night when the cart goes its round.
Six orders have come in within the last hour. No one knows how many
we shall have by nightfall, or how many men we shall have working
soon. I sent Job away but an hour since. I hope it was not the
distemper that turned his face so green! They say it has broken out
in three streets hard by, and that it is spreading like wildfire."

Joseph shuddered as he listened and crept away to the corner where
his brother was generally to be found. And there sure enough was
Benjamin, a pretty fair-haired boy, who looked scarce strong enough
for the task in hand, but who was yet working might and main with
chisel and hammer. His face brightened at sight of his brother, yet
he did not relax his efforts, only saying eagerly:

"How goes it at home with them all, Joseph? I trow it is the coffin
makers, not the lace makers, who have all the trade nowadays! We
are working night and day, and yet cannot keep up with the orders."

Benjamin was half proud of all this press of business, but he did
not look as though it agreed with him. His face was pale, and when
at last he threw down his hammer it was with a gasp of exhaustion.
The day was very hot, and he had been at work before the dawn. It
was no wonder, perhaps, that he looked wan and weary, yet the
master passing by paused and cast an uneasy glance at him. For it
was from the very next stool that he had recently dismissed the man
Job of whom