'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 then. I
have arranged to get her ladyship away to-night.'

'So late? After midnight?'