He saw the agonised look in the husband's countenance as he covered the face and straightened the limbs of his dead wife, and placing his hand on his arm he said-- "You are the husband of this lady, I presume?" Arthur could only silently assent. "My friend," he said gently, "nothing that I or any one else can do would avail now, your wife's sufferings are over in this world." "Sufferings!" exclaimed Arthur, "in what way, doctor?" "Has not this lady been afflicted for some time with disease of the heart?" asked Dr. West. "I don't know; she has never complained to me. I have only been married six months." "I fear there must be an inquest, then," replied the doctor; "where does your own medical man reside?" "In Melbourne," replied Arthur, in agitated tones; "we only arrived in England last week. Doctor, will you do all that is necessary for me in this terrible matter? here is my card; we were on our way to visit a relative in Kilburn; you will find me at Englefield Grange tomorrow." "Englefield Grange!" exclaimed Dr. West, "are you related to our good old friend Dr. Halford?" "He is the father of my first wife, and my children are with him now." "My dear sir," cried the doctor, "I will do my best for you in this sad affair, but we must secure the help of my friend Armstrong and this lady also," he added, turning to cousin Sarah, on whose cheeks tears of pity and sympathy were quietly stealing. At this moment Mr. Armstrong, who had been called from the room by the station-master, entered quickly, and advancing to Arthur he said gently--"I am sorry to pain you, but it will be necessary to remove the poor lady to the hotel before the arrival of the next train." "I must submit to whatever is necessary," he replied as the porters entered the room; "I feel too bewildered to act for myself." Meanwhile Mary Armstrong, in obedience to her father's request, had driven to the station, and drew up to the entrance three or four minutes before the train was due. She heard it arrive, and looked for her father and his companions among the numbers who passed out of the station much too anxiously to notice the glances of admiration cast upon herself; and yet the passengers seemed to linger, and some were conversing with great seriousness, to judge by their faces. At length two gentlemen paused at a little distance from the pony carriage, and Mary heard her mother's name mentioned, and then the ominous words, "Death in a railway carriage." Too startled at first to decide what to do, Mary allowed the speakers to move forward, so that the opportunity for questioning them was lost. Then she checked her fears; she had only heard detached sentences which might mean nothing; yet as the train moved out of the station, and a few straggling passengers made their appearance, a dread of she knew not what fell upon her.