The bodies of the two squires were brought to Normanstand. Rowly had
long ago said that if he died unmarried he would like to lie beside
his half-sister, and that it was fitting that, as Stephen would be
the new Squire of Norwood, her dust should in time lie by his. When
the terrible news of her nephew's and of Norman's death came to
Norwood, Miss Laetitia hurried off to Normanstand as fast as the
horses could bring her.

Her coming was an inexpressible comfort to Stephen. After the first
overwhelming burst of grief she had settled into an acute despair.
Of course she had been helped by the fact that Harold had been with
her, and she was grateful for that too. But it did not live in her
memory of gratitude in the same way. Of course Harold was with her
in trouble! He had always been; would always be.

But the comfort which Aunt Laetitia could give was of a more positive
kind.

From that hour Miss Rowly stayed at Normanstand. Stephen wanted her;
and she wanted to be with Stephen.

After the funeral Harold, with an instinctive delicacy of feeling,
had gone to live in his own house; but he came to Normanstand every
day. Stephen had so long been accustomed to consulting him about
everything that there was no perceptible change in their relations.
Even necessary business to be done did not come as a new thing.

And so things went on outwardly at Normanstand very much as they had
done before the coming of the tragedy. But for a long time Stephen