Mrs. Mildmay, looking at it, felt a vague alarm.
"What is the matter?" she asked.
"Oh—not much," hesitated the captain, glancing at Violet. "An accident has happened."
"An accident?" repeated Violet, looking up with her white face. "To whom?"
"To my man, Starling," he said, gravely. "He has fallen over the cliffs."
"Fallen over the cliffs!" echoed Mrs. Mildmay. "How dreadful!"
"Is it not?" he exclaimed. "Terrible! Poor fellow! I saw him last night," and here he glanced at Violet.
"And he has fallen over!" exclaimed Mrs. Mildmay. "And where did they find him?"
"That I have scarcely learned," said the captain. "It seems that they have taken the body to the coastguard station, and that they require me to identify it."
"You will go at once?" said Mrs. Mildmay.