ate of feeling, Mark. Such a thing
as this is like a wound in battle; the shock is so great that for a time
it numbs all pain. I have heard my husband say that a soldier who has
had his arm carried off by a cannon ball will fall from the shock, and
when he recovers consciousness will be ignorant where he has been hit.
It is so with you; probably the sense of pain and loss will increase
every day as you take it in more and more. As for what you say about the
murderer, it will undoubtedly be a good thing for you to have something
to employ your thoughts and engage all your faculties as soon as this is
all over. Is there anything that I can do?"

"No, thank you; the inquest will be held tomorrow. I have sent down to
Chatterton to come up this afternoon to make the necessary preparations
for the funeral. Let me see, today is Wednesday, is it not? I seem to
have lost all account of the time."

"Yes, Wednesday."

"Then I suppose the funeral will be on Monday or Tuesday. If there is
any message that you want sent down to the town, one of the grooms will
carry it whenever you wish."

"Thank you; 'tis not worth sending particularly, any time will do, but
I shall want to send a note to Mrs. Wilson presently, asking her to come
up the first thing tomorrow morning."

"He can take it whenever, you like, Mrs. Cunningham. I have nothing
to send down for, as far as I know. I suppose you have heard that the
doctor thinks very badly of Mr. Bastow?"

"Yes. Ramoo is sitting with him now."

"Then I think, if you will write your note at once, Mrs. Cunningham, I
will send one down to Dr. Holloway, asking him to send an experienced
nurse. He said he should call again this afternoon, but the sooner a
nurse comes the better."

That afternoon Mark wrote a letter to the family solicitors, telling
them of what had taken place, and stating that the funeral would be on
the following Tuesday, and asking them to send down a clerk with his
father's will, or if one of the partners could manage to come down,
he should greatly prefer it, in view of the explanations that would be
necessary. He had already sent off a letter to the head of the Detective
Department, asking him to send down one of his best men as soon as
possible. Then he went out into the garden, and walked backwards and
forwards for about two hours, and then returned to what he thought
would be a solitary meal. Mrs. Cunningham, however, came down. She had
thoughtfully had the large