money may come back somehow or other, but he is gone for ever; I'll
never see him again. If he had only known me--or spoken to me!' And
then he just laid his head upon his arms and sobbed like a girl."

"And Mrs. Shafto, how does _she_ bear this double loss?" inquired Miss
Jane magisterially.

"She had one fit of screaming hysterics after another. If you ask
_me_, I believe it's the money that touches her most keenly; my husband
begged me to go up this morning, and see if I could do anything. She
has no intimate friends here, and I have sent to Mrs. Boomer and Mrs.
Jake; they will be over from Bricklands immediately. The doctor has
given a certificate, and has undertaken to see about the funeral, and
sent the notice to the _Times_ and _Morning Post_. From what old
Hannah told me, it seems that Mr. Shafto and his family were not on
terms; I believe the quarrel had something to do"--she paused and
glanced from one to the other of her eager listeners--"with Mrs.
Shafto, and I am not surprised. They did not approve of the
marriage--it was a mistake."

"I'm afraid it was," agreed Miss Mitty briskly; "they never appeared a
well-matched couple; he, so reserved and aristocratic, and she such a
gabbling, fluffy, restless creature--crazy about bridge and dress. I
wonder who she was?"

"I can tell you that!" was Mrs. Billing's unexpected reply. "Mr.
Shafto was a Fellow of his College at Oxford, wealthy and
distinguished--he had taken no end of honours. He was hooked--there is
no other word for it--by the niece of a local book-seller! He was an
important customer, and the girl always contrived to be there, when he