George came to her and took her hand gently.
“Mother,” he said, “you must n’t blame her. She can’t break her father’s heart. She has sent me away again.”
His mother looked at him quietly, but with eyes that shone wildly.
“You need n’t go,” she announced calmly. “He is dead.”
“Dead!” echoed her son.
“Dead!” cried Hannah shrilly.
“Yes,” Sarah responded, with increasing calmness. “He had one of his paroxysms. The doctor said he’d go off in one of them. You’d better go to Miss Edith and tell her.”
Hannah rose from her chair as if the feebleness of age had come upon her suddenly.
“The doctor said he must n’t be excited,” she quavered. “Did he know George was here?”