“Must have been waiting up for you, sir.” Agnes lifted her head from her hands. “The mistress didn’t expect you home for dinner, and I served her on the little table out on the veranda. She was sitting out there still when Ellen and me went to bed, along about nine. I asked her should I wait to lock up or see if you wanted a bit of cold supper, sir, but she said no, that she would attend to it herself. If only I’d known one of those attacks was coming on I wouldn’t have left her for a minute! I’ll never forgive myself! But the mistress seemed all right, as ever she was in her life, and I was that tired——”
Storm eyed her steadily:
“You would have heard Mrs. Storm had she called for help?”
“I don’t know, sir.” The girl twisted her hands. “I’m a pretty heavy sleeper, and I never heard a thing during the night. I’ll never forget the turn it gave me when I came down this morning and found the light still on and her lying there on the floor——”
“God rest her soul!” Ellen ejaculated piously. “Sure we wouldn’t have heard, away up there on the top floor at the back, unless she’d screamed fit to wake the dead. I’d had a full day’s ironing, and I was asleep the minute my head touched the pillow. The first I knew was when Agnes here let that yell out of her awhile back. The best lady ever I worked for and the kindest! She must have been took sudden to fall over like that!”
Storm drew a breath of relief. It was evident that they were telling the truth and that neither of them was aware of Brewster’s visit on the previous night, nor had an inkling of its aftermath. He sank into a chair and buried his face in his hands, the better to think. He must get rid of them some way; their chatter and lamentations were driving him mad!
“ ’Tis God’s will, sir,” Ellen ventured, in a hesitating effort at consolation, though the tears still coursed unchecked down her cheeks. “Couldn’t we move her, sir? ’Tis terrible to leave her lying here, poor lady——”
“Not until the doctor comes.” Storm’s tones were hoarse and muffled. “Please go away, both of you. I want to be alone. Mind you say not a word of what has happened to the milkman or anyone else who may come to the door until the doctor has taken charge. We should have all the neighbors about our ears.”
“We won’t breathe a word.” Agnes scrambled to her feet. “You’ll ring, sir, if you want anything? A cup of coffee, now——?”
“Nothing!” Storm waved aside the suggestion with a shudder of disgust. “I only wish to be alone.”