"Forgive me!"
"Oh, I do! I've been a brute, I never once thought of him, only of you; but I must go now—you see that I must?"
He did not reply; he had seen that the lights were stationary over the snow and they outlined the dark figures of Astry and his men. They delved in the snow and labored with it. It was so deep that Charter helped Rachel down the last few yards with difficulty until they reached the path that the others had broken. Astry was kneeling in the drift, his head against the breast of the figure that they had uncovered.
Rachel went forward unsteadily and stood beside him. The others brushed away more snow and the form of Belhaven was fully revealed; he lay quite easily, his head on his arm as though he slept.
Astry rose from his knees and took Rachel's hands and turned her gently away.
"It's all over," he said gravely, "all over."
"It wasn't the cold; it was heart failure," Van Citters explained patiently, for the third time.
He was alone with his wife and Lottie Prynne. Eva had been carried up-stairs and Rachel and Dr. Macclesfield were with her. It had been necessary to tell all the guests at once, and under Pamela's skilful leading Paul told all he knew.
"I thought he looked ill," said Pamela, "but there'll be an inquest. Oh, poor Rachel, and poor Eva, too!"