ven o'clock that night a mounted messenger was sent off to
Ambleside in hot haste to fetch Mr. Evans, who came to the inn to find
Lady Maulevrier kneeling beside her husband's bed, while Steadman stood
with a troubled countenance at a respectful distance.

The room was dimly lighted by a pair of candles burning on a table near
the window, and at some distance from the old four-post bedstead,
shaded by dark moreen curtains. The surgeon looked round the room, and
then fumbled in his pockets for his spectacles, without the aid of which
the outside world presented itself to him under a blurred and uncertain
aspect.

He put on his spectacles, and moved towards the bed; but the first
glance in that direction showed him what had happened. The outline of
the rigid figure under the coverlet looked like a sculptured effigy upon
a tomb. A sheet was drawn over the face of death.

'You are too late to be of any use, Mr. Evans,' murmured Steadman,
laying his hand upon the doctor's sleeve and drawing him away towards
the door.

They went softly on to the landing, off which opened the door of that
other sick-room where the landlady's brother was lying.

'When did this happen?'

'A quarter of an hour after the messenger rode off to fetch you,'
answered Steadman. 'His lordship lay all the afternoon in a heavy sleep,
and we thought he was going on well; but after dark there was a
difficulty in his breathing which alarmed her ladyship, and she insisted
upon you being sent for. The messenger had hardly been gone a quarter of
an hour when his lordship woke suddenly, muttured to himself in a
curious way, gave just one long drawn sigh, and--and all was over. It
was a terrible shock for her ladyship.'

'Indeed it must have been,' murmured the village doctor. 'It is a great
surprise to me. I knew Lord Maulevrier was low, very low, the pulse
feeble and intermittent; but I had no fear of anything of this kind. It
is very sudden.'

'Yes, it is awfully sudden,' said Steadman, and then he murmured in the
doctor's ear, 'You will give the necessary certificate, I hope, with as
little trouble to her ladyship as possible. This is a dreadful blow, and
she----'

'She shall not be troubled. The body will be removed to-morrow, I
suppose.'

'Yes. He must be buried from his own house. I sent a second messenger to
Ambleside for the undertaker. He will be here very soon, no doubt, and
if the shell is ready by noon to-morrow, the body can be removed