Leadville looked at her anxiously and his heart was in the question: "You don’t think she suffered any pain, do you?" "Why, look at ’er. You can see she didn’t. If she ’ad suffered ’er face ’ud ’av been quite drawn. But there she is, lookin’ so peaceful as a lamb." Her tears flowed again. "We shall all miss her. She was a good sawl." "I dunno whatever I shall do without ’er." "My dear life, ’tis nothing but right you should feel it so." "Well, nobody knew what a good wife she’s been to me. I ’adn’t ’ad a penny to bless myself when she married me, but since then I ’aven’t wanted for nothing. Never an angry word between us." "Poor sawl, too." "’Twas ’ard on the missis losin’ ’er laigs but after that she never complained. She made the best of everything." From the world beyond the justice-room, the world of living people and the everyday, came sounds of movement. Richbell, left in the passage, had returned to the kitchen and, once there, had mechanically resumed her work. Come life, come death, breakfast must be prepared. "Come out now," said Mrs. Tom, the odour of ’fry’ being wafted to her nostrils, "and ’av a bit of breakfast, Leadville. I’m sure you’ll be wantin’ it." The man shook his head. "I don’t feel I want any. I’d rather go out on the cliff by myself. Tidn’t like she’s dead to me and I must get used to it." He followed Mrs. Tom out of the room but his eyes were so dim he stumbled as he went. "Well, she’s dead right enough. ’Ow it ’appened I dunno. She seemed quite all right yesterday. She might ’av been a bit tired but what was that? I’m afraid," she looked at him thoughtfully, "I’m afraid, as she died suddint, we shall ’av to ’av an inquest." Byron was on his way to the porch but at the word ’inquest’ he stopped and, though Mrs. Tom dismissed the thought indignantly, her heart had said to her, "’E don’t want no inquest." "What do we want an inquest for, after doctor been tendin’ ’er so long?" "Did doctor say that she might die off quick like this?" "’E was ’ere yesterday and seen ’er." Leadville was trying to remember. "I can’t call to mind ’zactly what ’e said but ’e didn’t give me a word of encouragement." "’E knaw better than we do," said Mrs. Tom, musingly. "Did S’bina seem poorly after I went ’ome last night?" Leadville constrained himself to answer as if the elucidation of the mystery were of as much moment to him as to her. "I don’t think I took much notice of ’er but she wadn’t very special. After you went she got the supper and, as soon as she’d eat it, went off to bed." Mrs. Tom nodded with, however, an irrepressible doubt. "Wonder what made ’er go so early?" "I dunno I’m sure." He spoke without considering whether what he asserted was in accordance with the facts. Mrs. Tom’s questions were irritating him, they were like the buzz of flies on a hot day. "I didn’t stay up very late. In fact we was both to bed by ten."