there was something wrong but what it was he could not determine he watched the casting of rich brown earth into the open grave and presently spoke to him though he knew there was nothing in the way of information to be got out of a man who had won for himself the of silent on account of his extreme poor seems to have had very few friends � he said jacob and general useful man about the church looked up for a second then down again and went on with his in all the village knew him and knew how long and patiently he had suffered � continued � i have thought that all the village ud be ere � interrupted � but it ain t he his hands and worked with fresh energy the people seemed so sorry about it and so sympathetic h re despite himself thought of s description of the s funeral � they must be able to forget very quickly or some other event must have happened of greater interest turned his head and weather beaten slowly round and surveyed the with a pair of very vague grey eyes that s it � he holy orders he threw more of now invisible h t moment by the like an figure with the wind blowing about him in snow white as of the mantle of a saint va martyr bat there s � he b an told m an i knows � ud i an i � but i t ii maids an an i bam t he continued his and it would be useless to ask him any questions presently bade him a cheery good day and left him all the rest of that a he happened to be busy there was a great deal of to dear and accounts to make up so that he did not go out but remained for the most part of the time in his study not a sin came near the and the hours slowly and somewhat heavily away with the of evening he put by his books and papers as usual and gave himself over to the quiet joys of which for him were very few and simple chief among them was the e of seeing his small son and put to bed � a function in which master displayed himself to the best advantage kicking out his little limbs in every direction and positively in every splash of the in the water no angel ever smiled more than he did when as a and only wings he sat on hb nurse s knee waiting for his clean night gown to be put on � he was all radiant with and good nature and it was difficult to that such a beautiful innocent little being was destined to become that too often sad and weary thing a man it was a point on which often dwelt with a certain wistful and tender solicitude sufficient for the day is the evil thereof he � the part of it all is that the evil is sure to come that night he sat in the drawing room reading or rather pretending to read while his wife sang to him � another of the tragedy of a quiet life his purely domestic pleasures had a very small voice � there was not a thrill of emotion in it but it was pretty and bird like and sounded particularly sweet in a more than usually senseless song about meet me in de com when de wind am there was no real sentiment in the thing but somehow as he heard the clear light child like the nonsense which passed for a love he was touched to a feeling of something like tears he laid the open book he held gently on the table and looked lovingly at his wife s dainty figure seated at the piano the gleamed on the gold of her hair twisted in its many shining love locks and flashed on the white of her arms s a in de clouds an de stars am oh meet me in de com when de wind am she sang in tender little notes of level tune � perfectly monotonous and yet in their way and sufficient to charm any man who was not too a critic a knock at the drawing room door broke the spell � the music ceased and a maid servant entered dr brand would like to see you sir � she said dr brand the echoed the name in some surprise and glanced at his watch � why it s nearly ten o clock yes sir but he said it was urgent somebody dying again sighed her husband made no answer to this but quietly left the room brand was awaiting him in the study i m sorry to disturb you so late in the evening mr he said � but i thought i d better come and tell you myself mrs is she worse she s dead dead stood amazed there was a shock in the of the announcement dead i thought she was getting well so she was � and dr harry took two or three turns holy orders tip and down the room m rather a way � there was nothing at all in the nature of her physical injuries that should have killed her it was worry � the woman fretted herself to death when did she die just now � half an hour ago mr � and the doctor spoke with sudden and emphatic earnestness � we mustn t think of charging with having caused the death of his wife one would be strongly inclined to do so � but knowing all the he broke oft and again paced up and m it s a wretched business he said � i wish to god you had known the whole thing from the beginning � then your wife would not have been 