"Last evening, sir."
"At what hour?"
"Just before you left the house, sir, with Mr. Effingham."
"Before I left the house!" exclaimed Morton; "in heaven's name, why did you not bring it to me? It is a case of life and death! It should have been attended to without the loss of a moment. As I could not attend to it myself, I should have sent Chalmers in my place."
The poor man looked panic-stricken.
"You will excuse me, sir," he faltered, "but I knocked twice on the study-door while the messenger waited, but I got no response. I thought you couldn't come, so sent the messenger away."
"But why did you not give me the note before I went away with Mr. Effingham?"
"Well, the truth is, sir," stammered the man, "I had no idea you were going to leave during office-hours, so I just slipped down to finish a cup o' tea, and when I came up you were off and away."
"Fool! Do you know that your negligence may have cost Miss Casson her life?"
"Casson!" gasped the man, turning pale to the lips and staggering against the wall for support, "the Lord save us, sir; she's dead!"