There had been some accident in the Park, the man said. The pony had swerved and thrown little Lord Elster: thrown him right under the other pony's feet, as it seemed. The servant made rather a bungle over his news, but this was its substance. "And the result? Is he much hurt?" asked Lord Hartledon, constraining his voice to calmness. "Well, no; not hurt at all, my lord. He was up again soon, saying he'd lash the pony for throwing him. He don't seem hurt a bit." "Then why need you have alarmed us so?" interrupted Dr. Ashton, reprovingly. "Well, sir, it's her ladyship seems hurt--or something," cried the man. Lord Hartledon looked at him. "What have you come to tell, Richard? Speak out." Apparently Richard could not speak out. His lady had been frightened and fainted, and did not come to again. And Lord Hartledon waited to hear no more. The people, standing about in the park here and there--for even this slight accident had gathered its idlers together--seemed to look at Lord Hartledon curiously as he passed them. Close to the house he met Ralph the groom. The boy was crying. "'Twasn't no fault of anybody's, my lord; and there ain't any damage to the ponies," he began, hastening to excuse himself. "The little lord only slid off, and they stood as quiet as quiet. There wasn't no cause for my lady's fear." "Is she fainting still?" "They say she's--dead." Lord Hartledon pressed onwards, and met Mr. Hillary at the hall-door. The surgeon took his arm and drew him into an empty room. "Hillary! is it true?" "I'm afraid it is." Lord Hartledon felt his sight failing. For a moment he was a man groping in the dark. Steadying himself against the wall, he learned the details. The child's pony had swerved. Ralph could not tell at what, and Lady Hartledon did not survive to tell. She was looking at him at the time, and saw him flung under the feet of the other pony, and she rose up in the carriage with a scream, and then fell back into the seat again. Ralph jumped out and picked up the child, who was not hurt at all; but when he hastened to tell her this, he saw that she seemed to have no life in her. One of the servants, Richard, happened to be going through the Park, within sight; others soon came up; and whilst Lady Hartledon was being driven home Richard ran for Mr. Hillary, and then sought his master, whom he found at the Rectory. The surgeon had found her dead. "It must have been instantaneous," he observed in low tones as he concluded these particulars. "One great consolation is, that she was spared all suffering." "And its cause?" breathed Lord Hartledon. "The heart. I don't entertain the least doubt about it." "You said she had no heart disease. Others said it." "I said, if she had it, it was not developed. Sudden death from it is not at all uncommon where disease has never been suspected."