the body of the
dead man was still lying there. But he went by rapidly without a
glance within, remembering the look of the man as he had last seen his
burly figure, and that grasp of his hand, and those odious words. And
now the man was dead,--having destroyed his own life. Surely the man
must have known when he uttered those words what it was that he
intended to do! When he had made that last appeal about Marie,
conscious as he was that every one was deserting him, he must even
then have looked his fate in the face and have told himself that it
was better that he should die! His misfortunes, whatever might be
their nature, must have been heavy on him then with all their weight;
and he himself and all the world had known that he was ruined. And yet
he had pretended to be anxious about the girl's marriage, and had
spoken of it as though he still believed that it would be
accomplished!

Nidderdale had hardly put his hat down on the table before Marie was
with him. He walked up to her, took her by both hands, and looked into
her face. There was no trace of a tear, but her whole countenance
seemed to him to be altered. She was the first to speak.

'I thought you would come when I sent for you.'

'Of course I came.'

'I knew you would be a friend, and I knew no one else who would. You
won't be afraid, Lord Nidderdale, that I shall ever think any more of
all those things which he was planning?' She paused a moment, but he
was not ready enough to have a word to say in answer to this. 'You
know what has happened?'

'Your servant told us.'

'What are we to do? Oh, Lord Nidderdale, it is so dreadful! Poor papa!
Poor papa! When I think of all that he must have suffered I wish that
I could be dead too.'

'Has your mother been told?'

'Oh yes. She knows. No one tried to conceal anything for a moment. It
was better that it should be so;--better at last. But we have no
friends who would be considerate enough to try to save us from sorrow.
But I think it was better. Mamma is very bad. She is always nervous and
timid. Of course this has nearly killed her. What ought we to do? It
is Mr Longestaffe's house, and we were to have left it to-morrow.'

'He will not mind that now.'

'Where must we go? We can't go back to that big place in Grosvenor
Square. Who will manage for us? Who will see the doctor and the
policemen?'

'I will do that.'

'But there will be things that I cannot ask you to do. Why should I
ask you to do an