* * * * *
Three days later Malling saw in the papers the news of the complete breakdown of Marcus Harding. "Nervous prostration," was the name given by the doctors to his malady, and it was announced that he had been ordered to take a sea voyage, and was preparing to start for Australia with a nurse.
Soon afterward Malling was walking in the afternoon down Pall Mall, wondering deeply what would happen, whether the rector would ever start on that voyage, when he came upon Professor Stepton sidling out of the Athenaeum.
"Heard about Harding?" jerked out the professor.
"Yes. Has he sailed for Australia?"
"Dead. Died at half-past three o'clock this morning."
Malling turned cold.
"Poor fellow!" he said. "Poor fellow!"
The professor was drawing his plaid shawl round his shoulders. When it was properly adjusted, he began to walk on. Malling kept almost mechanically beside him.
"Did you expect this?" Malling asked.