Lezzard's journey
was ended in less than three weeks of her conversation with Clement
Hicks. Then came a night when she made an ugly end; and with morning a
group of gossips stood about the drawn blinds, licked their lips over
the details, and generally derived that satisfaction from death common
to their class. Indeed, this ghoulish gusto is not restricted to humble
folk alone. The instinct lies somewhere at the root of human nature,
together with many another morbid vein and trait not readily to be
analysed or understood. Only educated persons conceal it.

"She had deliriums just at the end," said Martha, her maid. "She called
out in a voice as I never heard afore, an' mistook her husband for the
Dowl."

"Poor sawl! Death's such a struggle at the finish for the full-blooded
kind. Doctor tawld me that if she'd had the leastest bit o'liver left,
he could 'a' saved her; but 'twas all soaked up by neat brandy, leaving
nought but a vacuum or some such fatal thing."

"Her hadn't the use of her innards for a full fortnight! Think o' that!
Aw. dallybuttons! It do make me cream all awver to hear tell of!"

So they piled horror upon horror; then came Clement Hicks, as one having
authority, and bade them begone. The ill-omened fowls hopped off;
relations began to collect; there was an atmosphere of suppressed
electricity about the place, and certain women openly criticised the
prominent attitude Hicks saw fit to assume. This, however, did not
trouble him. He wrote to the lawyer at Newton, fixed a day for the
funeral, and then turned his attention to Mr. Lezzard. The ancient
resented Clement's interference not a little, but Hicks speedily
convinced him that his animosity mattered nothing. The bee-keeper found
this little taste of power not unpleasant. He knew that everything was
his own property, and he enjoyed the hate and suspicion in the eyes of
those about him. The hungry crowd haunted him, but he refused it any
information. Mr. Lezzard picked a quarrel, but he speedily silenced the
old man, and told him frankly that upon his good behaviour must depend
his future position. Crushed and mystified, the widower whispered to
those interested with himself in his wife's estate; and so, before the
reading of the will, there slowly grew a very deep suspicion and hearty
hatred of Clement Hicks. None had considered him in connection with Mrs.
Lezzard's fortune, for he always kept aloof from her; but women cannot
easily shut their l