He finished cutting the lead as he spoke, and then with a grim laugh inserted his fingers in the slit, raised it a little, and then going to the uncut side, hooked his fingers in again, placed his knee against the coffin, and after the exercise of some little force, drew the long leaf of lead over towards him, the uncut side acting like the hinges of a lid, and laying bare the contents of the ghastly case. "There," said the old sexton; "that means less trouble when we come to shut him up again." "You seem to know," said the doctor quickly. "Man in my line picks up a few things, doctor," replied the sexton. "But there you are. What next?" The doctor took the lamp once more, and held it over the head of the coffin, to scan with the deepest interest the head and face revealed. "Sheared!" said Moredock grimly; "what is there to be skeared on? Only seems to be asleep." "Yes," said the doctor, gazing down and thoughtfully repeating the sexton's words; "seems to be asleep. Suppose he is?" The old man stared with his jaw dropping, and his features full of wonder. "Asleep? Nay, you said he'd broke his neck. No sleep that, poor chap." "Hush!" said the doctor. Moredock looked at him curiously, as he bent lower over the occupant of the coffin. "Rum game for us if he were only asleep," muttered the sexton uneasily. "Dally wouldn't like that, and I shouldn't like it. That wouldn't do." "Hale, strong--life arrested by that sudden accident," said the doctor, as he laid his hand upon the cold forehead. "It must be possible. I am satisfied now, and I will." "Did you speak, doctor?" said Moredock. "No. Yes," said North, setting down the lamp quickly. "Here, help me." Moredock approached, wondering what was to be done next, and with a vague idea in his brain that the doctor was about to test whether the body before them contained any remains of life before making some examination for increasing his anatomical knowledge. "Now, quick. Lift." "We two can't lift that, doctor. It takes four men. Why, there was eight to bring it down." "Can we shift it to the edge of this slab?" "Ay, we might do that." And lifting first at the head, and then at the foot, they moved the coffin to the extreme edge of the stone table, leaving a good space on one side. "Now, then, lift again. I will take the head; you the feet." "What! lift him out, doctor?" "Yes, man, yes. Don't waste time." Moredock hesitated for a moment, and drew a long breath. Then, obeying the orders he had received, he helped to lift the body out upon the table, where it lay white and strange-looking in the yellow light. "Now we can easily lift the coffin," said North. "Over yonder--out of the way." The sexton uttered a low whistle, as he once more obeyed, taking the bottom handle of the massive casket, and it was placed on one side close to where a generation or two of the passed-away Candlishes lay in their bin-like niches.