However, the riddle solved itself before many hours had passed. That afternoon he was absent, and Jos, about whom Miss Peacock was growing anxious, had gone out to take the air. The butler, left on guard, occupied himself with laying the table in the dining-room, where, if the Squire tapped the floor, he could hear him. He heard no summons, but presently as he went about his work he heard someone moving upstairs and he pricked up his ears. Surely the Squire was not getting out of bed? Weak and blind as he was—but again he heard heavy footsteps, and, thoroughly alarmed, the man lost no time. He hurried up the stairs, and entered his master’s room. The Squire was out of bed. He was on his feet, clinging to the post at the foot of the bed, and feeling helplessly about him with the other hand. “Lord, ha’ mercy!” Calamy cried, eying the gaunt figure with dismay. He hastened forward to support it. The Squire collapsed on the bed as soon as he was touched. “I canna do it,” he groaned, “I canna do it. It’s going round wi’ me. Who is it?” “Calamy, sir,” the butler answered, and added bluntly, “If you want to get into your coffin, master, you’re going the right way to do it!” “Anyway, I canna do it,” the Squire repeated, and remained motionless for a moment. “I couldn’t manage the stairs if ’twere ever so.” “You’d manage ’em one way. You’d fall down ’em. You get to bed, sir. You get to bed. There, I’ll heave you up.” “I’m weaker than I thought,” the Squire muttered. He suffered himself to be put into bed. “You’ve lost blood, sir, that’s what it is,” the butler said. “And at your age it’s not to be replaced in a week, nor a fortnight. You lie still, sir. Maybe in a month you’ll be tramping the stairs. But blindfold—it’s the Lord’s mercy as you didn’t fall and only stop in Kingdom Come! For if fall you did, I don’t know where else you’d stop.” “I’m afraid so. Anyway I canna do it!” “Only feet foremost.” The Squire sighed and turned himself to the wall, perhaps to hide the tear that helplessness forced from old eyes. He couldn’t do it, and he must put up with the consequences. He could not any longer be sufficient to himself. It was a sad thought, but apparently he made up his mind to it, for twenty-four hours later, when Jos and Arthur were with him, he sent the girl away. When she had gone he sought under the pillow for his keys, and after handling them for a time, “Is the door shut? And no one here but you?” “We are quite alone, sir.” “No one within hearing, lad?” “Not a soul, sir.”