"Ah, my poor little friend! I have been thinking of you all night; have passed a sleepless night. These things touch me more acutely than you might imagine; my nature is highly strung and these things wound me--cut me to the heart. But"--he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head--"'in the midst of life we are in death,' you know, and I suppose we must all be prepared for these things.--It was very sudden, eh?" he added, turning to the captain. "Terribly sudden," replied the captain, in a low voice. "Ah! these things are not in our hands. I am sorry, very sorry; the shock of it has even tempered the joy I have in some unexpected news this morning." His face began to beam again, try as he would to control it, and the captain looked at him with rising anger, but had no time to utter a protest; the other swept on with what he had to say, scarcely taking breath. "A letter--yes, my dear sir, another letter has arrived from that dear eccentric soul, my sister. She appears to have repented of her conduct to me and suggests----" "But, my dear sir," began the captain, "this does not concern----" "Wait, wait!" cried the other impulsively. "She suggests that she will come here--here, to this very town, at once--to-day. With some compunction, I suppose, for her behaviour to me--although, Heaven knows, I have forgotten and forgiven it long ago, poor soul--she suggests that she will not stay with me, but will put up at an inn. Oh, I know her; I know the dear creature. Protests are useless. I must go to the best inn this wretched town can boast and secure rooms for her. Think of it, she may arrive at any moment. And Brian, the blessed rascal----" The captain pushed hurriedly past him and went on his way. But Mr. Carlaw in a moment came running after them again, and strode along beside them with a forlorn expression of countenance and with a hurried appeal to Comethup to bear his trouble manfully, and to look to something higher for consolation. Then he turned, and was off again, his step growing jauntier as the distance increased between them. The captain strode along fiercely, muttering to himself; only at the garden gate did his features relax, and he passed into the house with a gentler face.