“Your ladyship—the master! Something has happened! He won’t move! He—he—”
They all rose to their feet. Quest groaned to himself. The black box!
“What do you mean?” Lady Ashleigh faltered. “What do you mean, Williams?”
The man shook his head. He seemed almost incapable of speech.
“Something has happened to the master!”
They all trooped out of the room and up the stairs, the Professor leading the way. They pushed open the door of Lord Ashleigh’s bedchamber. In the far corner of the large room was the four-poster, and underneath the clothes a silent figure. The Professor turned down the sheets. Then he held out his hand. His face, too, was blanched.
“Julia, don’t come,” he begged.
“I must know!” she almost shrieked. “I must know!”
“George is dead,” the Professor said slowly.
There was a moment’s awful silence, broken by a piercing scream from Lady Ashleigh. She sank down upon the sofa and the Professor leaned over her. Quest turned to the little group of frightened servants who were gathering round the doorway.