ain and again, and ultimately the door was opened by Hannah
as usual.

'I could make nobody hear,' said Lady Constantine, who was so weary she
could scarcely stand.

'I am very sorry, my lady,' said Hannah, slightly awed on beholding her
visitor. 'But we was a putting poor Mr. Swithin's room to rights, now
that he is, as a woman may say, dead and buried to us; so we didn't hear
your ladyship. I'll call Mrs. Martin at once. She is up in the room
that used to be his work-room.'

Here Hannah's voice implied moist eyes, and Lady Constantine's instantly
overflowed.

'No, I'll go up to her,' said Viviette; and almost in advance of Hannah
she passed up the shrunken ash stairs.

The ebbing light was not enough to reveal to Mrs. Martin's aged gaze the
personality of her visitor, till Hannah explained.

'I'll get a light, my lady,' said she.

'No, I would rather not. What are you doing, Mrs. Martin?'

'Well, the poor misguided boy is gone--and he's gone for good to me! I
am a woman of over four-score years, my Lady Constantine; my junketting
days are over, and whether 'tis feasting or whether 'tis sorrowing in the
land will soon be nothing to me. But his life may be long and active,
and for the sake of him I care for what I shall never see, and wish to
make pleasant what I shall never enjoy. I am setting his room in order,
as the place will be his own freehold when I am gone, so that when he
comes back he may find all his poor jim-cracks and trangleys as he left
'em, and not feel that I have betrayed his trust.'

Mrs. Martin's voice revealed that she had burst into such few tears as
were left her, and then Hannah began crying likewise; whereupon Lady
Constantine, whose heart had been bursting all day (and who, indeed,
considering her coming trouble, had reason enough for tears), broke into
bitterer sobs than either--sobs of absolute pain, that could no longer be
concealed.

Hannah was the first to discover that Lady Constantine was weeping with
them; and her feelings being probably the least intense among the three
she instantly controlled herself.

'Refrain yourself, my dear woman, refrain!' she said hastily to Mrs.
Martin; 'don't ye see how it do raft my lady?' And turning to Viviette
she whispered, 'Her years be so great, your ladyship, that perhaps ye'll
excuse her for busting out afore ye? We know when the mind is dim, my
lady, there's not the manners there should be; but decayed people can't
help it,