‘Well,’ answered the lady, glancing uneasily round, ‘it’s a dreadful thing to say, but I always did believe, and I always shall believe, as the master had—had——’ ‘Had something on his conscience that wouldn’t let him rest. Exactly, Mrs. Turvey.’ ‘Lor’ how you do catch me up. Well, yes. It’s no good mincing matters. But how and where did he die?’ ‘How and where we can’t exactly tell,’ answered Mr. Duck; ‘but from information received, as they say at Scotland Yard, he left America in the _Bon Espoir_, that was wrecked last summer; and as he has never been heard of since, the conclusion is obvious.’ ‘But he might not have come in the _Boney’s Paw_.’ ‘We are certain that he did sail in her. The information that he was among the passengers reached our firm only this week, though the wreck took place six months ago. But the information is correct; the owners confirm it upon application.’ ‘But he may be heard of yet. There were some persons saved.’ ‘Every one of them is accounted for. The boats were all picked up, and the passengers our firm have written to all state that a Mr. Gurth Egerton was on board. The _Diana_ passed the scene of the wreck, and reported, on her arrival at Baltimore, that she had saved one passenger—a Mr. George Englehardt. Besides, if he had been saved we should, of course, have heard from him. Dr. Birnie was his intimate friend, and is left executor to the will. Dr. Birnie agrees with the firm that Mr. Gurth Egerton went down, my dear Mrs. Turvey, in the _Bon Espoir_.’ When she realised that her master was actually dead, Mrs. Turvey felt she ought to cry, and she begged Mr. Duck to excuse her while she did so. What was to become of her? She’d lived in the house this ten years, first as servant and then as housekeeper, and of course it wouldn’t be kept on. Oh, it was very dreadful, and she didn’t know what she should do. Mr. Duck let her have a good cry, and then he shone upon her. ‘My poor soul,’ he said, when the paroxysm was over, ‘you distress yourself needlessly. I think I may tell you, without a breach of confidence, that you are provided for. The will was opened by the firm to-day.’ Mrs. Turvey sobbed again. Mr. Duck edged his chair a little nearer to her. ‘Susan,’ he said, softly, ‘I shouldn’t have spoken so abruptly but for this. Oh, Susan, you need never want a home.’ Mrs. Turvey looked up through her tears and beheld the shining face of Messrs. Grigg and Limpet’s clerk so close to hers that it almost made her blink. At least that must have been the reason that she turned her head away. Mr. Duck took her hand. ‘Susan,’ he said, pressing the imprisoned member gently against his shiny satin waistcoat, ‘don’t spurn me. You are alone in the world now, but I can offer you a shelter. Come, weep on my bosom, my own stricken deer, Though the world all turn from thee, thy shelter is here. Those are lines, Susan, which I composed myself the first time I saw you, but which I dared not utter till now.’