"If they don't mind, they'll keep you so low that——that we shall have to give you a bottle of brandy a day." I think the concluding words, after the pause, had been quite changed from what he had been going to say, and he spoke half-jokingly. "I know that the proper treatment for you would have been stimulants. I told Lowe so again to-day, but he would not have it. But for one thing, I'd take the case into my own hands, and give you a wine-glass of brandy now." "And that one thing?" she asked, in her scarcely perceptible voice. "The doubt that I _might_ do wrong." Jemima appeared at the door with a candle: it was my signal. Selina kissed me twice, and said she should hope to get up on the morrow. I went round to Mr. Edwin Barley. "Good night, sir." "Is it your bedtime, child? Good night." CHAPTER VI. DEAD! Eight o'clock the next morning, and the church-bells ringing out on the sunshiny air! Everything looked joyous as I drew up the blind—kept down for a week previously. I dressed myself, without waiting for Jemima, in my Sunday frock with its deep crape trimmings. The house would be open again to-day; Selina be sitting up. I scrambled over my dressing; I fear I scrambled over my prayers. Everything was so still below I thought they had forgotten me. Going down, I knocked at Selina's door, and was waiting to hear her answer, when one of the maids came running up the stairs in a flurry. It was Sarah. "You cannot go in there, Miss Hereford." "I want to see how my aunt is." "Oh, she—she—you must not go in, Miss I say. Your aunt cannot see you just now; you must please go down into Miss Delves's parlour." Dropping the handle of the door in obedience, I went down a few steps. Sarah ascended to the upper flights. But the girl's manner had alarmed me; and, without any thought of doing wrong, I turned back and softly opened the door. The curtains were drawn closely round the bed. "Are you worse, Selina?" No reply came, and I feared she was worse. Perhaps lying with leeches to her throat. I had seen leeches to a throat once, and had never forgotten the sight. At that moment the appearance of the room struck me as strange. _It seemed to have been put to rights_. I pulled open the curtain in full dread of the leeches. Alas! it was not leeches I saw; but a still, white face. The face of my Aunt Selina, it is true, but—dead. I shrieked out, in my shock of terror, and flew into the arms of Sarah, who came running in. "What is the matter?" exclaimed Charlotte Delves, flying up to the landing where we stood. "Why, Miss Hereford has been in there; and I told her not to go!" said Sarah, hushing my face to her as she spoke. "Why couldn't you listen to me, Miss?" "I didn't know Miss Hereford was up; she should have waited for Jemima," said Charlotte Delves, as she laid hold of me, and led me down to her parlour. "Oh, Miss Delves, Miss Delves, what is it?" I sobbed. "Is she really dead?"