Seth had left the room, with soft footsteps. He would go at once to the scene of his brother’s death.
At the outside door, as he opened it, he stood face to face with Annie. She gave him her hand silently. Her face was paler than he had ever seen it before, and she looked on the ground, after the first little start of surprise at the meeting, instead of into his face.
“You have heard?” he whispered.
“Yes. Isn’t it awful?”
“Will you go upstairs and see Aunt Sabrina? She is in her room. I think the sight of you would do her good.”
“Yes. What a terrible shock it must be to her. And——?”
“The widow? You’ll find her in the parlor. Strange enough, she was weeping her eyes out when I last saw her.” He could not keep the bitterness out of his tone.
“Poor woman!” was all that Annie could find it in her heart to murmur, as Seth passed her on his gloomy errand, and she entered the house of mourning.