The voice was now, so faint, that I could barely catch his words. His dull gaze rested upon my eyes. I stooped down. My hand was upon his. Ah! How cold he was! "Always," I said aloud, with an effort, a great lump rising in my throat. "I promise that--I promise I will do all possible to make Vera happy--always--_always_!" By the expression, that for an instant came into his dull, filmy eyes, I saw that he had heard and understood. Slowly the eyelids closed. He was turning paler still. The light died from his face. A few seconds later his countenance was ashen, and I knew that he had breathed his last. Speechless, motionless, I still stood there. My hand was still upon his, as it lay upon the coverlet, slowly stiffening. The only sound audible was the bitter wailing of his widow--and of Vera. I made no attempt to comfort them. Better, I knew, let the passion of their sorrow read! its flood-tide, and allow the fury of their misery to exhaust itself. Words of sympathy, at such a time, would only be a mockery. Later, I would do all possible to help them to recover from the awful blow which had so suddenly fallen upon them. CHAPTER THIRTY. CONTAINS THE END. For a quarter of an hour we remained there in the presence of the dead. The grey light in the side-ward faded into darkness. The electric light had not been switched on. The sobs and lamentations of Lady Thorold and her daughter, locked in each other's arms, began slowly to subside. Gradually my thoughts drifted to the past, and all that had happened in those years I had known Thorold so intimately, and had loved him almost as a father. One thought afforded me most intense happiness. At last the time had come when I should be able to prove to Vera the intense love I bore her. "Be good to her--you will be good to her--Dick--always," had been her father's dying request. Ah, how well I would obey my dear friend's last request! Never again should unhappiness of any kind cross his child's path, if I could prevent it. I would show her how, in my opinion, a husband should treat a wife. My thoughts drifted to Houghton. What had happened there, I wondered. What was happening now? Ah! What was happening! Had I known what was happening in those moments I should not, perhaps, have felt as restful as I did. Next day the newspapers were full of it.