back in his corner, silent and motionless. As for
the tutor, with the front seat to himself, he nursed his knee, and gazed
fixedly out of the window the whole way.

What weeks those two hours seemed! How the horses laboured, and panted,
and halted! And how interminably dismal was the dull muffled crunching
of the wheels through the snow!

At length a blurred light passed the window, and the tutor released his
knee and put up his eye-glass.

"Here we are," said he; "that was the lodge."

Roger slowly and reluctantly sat forward, and wrapped his mother's shawl
closer round her.

Raffles stood on the door-step, and in the hall beyond Mr Armstrong
could see the doctor standing.

As he stepped out, the page touched him on the arm.

"No 'urry," whispered he; "all over!"

Whereupon the tutor quietly crept away to the seclusion of his own room.

CHAPTER TWO.

THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD.

The household of Maxfield, worn-out by the excitement of the night,
slept, or rather lay in bed, till hard on midday.

The tutor, as he slowly turned on his side and caught sight of the
winter sun through the frost-bespangled window, felt profoundly
disinclined to rise. He shrank from the tasks that awaited him--the
task of witnessing the grief of the widow and the pale looks of the
orphan heir, the dismal negotiations with undertakers and clergymen and
lawyers, the stupid questions of the domestics, the sickly fragrance of
stephanotis in the house. Then, too, there was the awkward uncertainty
as to his own future. What effect would the tragedy of last night have
on that? Was it a notice to quit, or what? He should be sorry to go.
He liked the place, he liked his pupil, and further, he had nowhere else
to go. Altogether Mr Armstrong felt very reluctant to exchange his
easy bed for the chances and changes of the waking world. Besides,
lastly, the water in his bath, he could see, was frozen; and it was
hopeless on a day like this to expect that Raffles would bring him
sufficient hot, even to shave with.

However, the tutor had had some little practice before now in doing what
he did not like. With a sigh and a shiver, therefore, he flung aside
his blankets and proceeded to break the ice literally, and take his
bath. After that he felt decidedly better, and with the help of a
steady ten minutes grind at the dumb-bells, he succeeded in pulling
himself together.

He had reached this stage in his toilet when a knock c