Aftershehadgone,twoorderlieshelpedGodfreydownstairstositonthebroadverandahofthehospital。Herestillstoodmanyofthelittletableswhichusedtoserveforpleasanttea-partieswhenthebuildingwasanhotelinthedaysbeforethewar。OntheselaysomeoldEnglishnewspapers。Godfreypickeduponeofthemwithhislefthand,andbegantoreadidlyenough。Almostthefirstparagraphthathiseyefellonwasheaded:
“HeroicDeathofaV。A。D。Commandant。“
Somethingmadehimreadonquickly,andthiswaswhathesaw:
“AttheinquestonthelateMrs。Knight,thewifeofColonelKnightwhowasreportedmurderedbynativesinEastAfricasomelittletimeago,someinterestingevidencewasgiven。ItappearedfromthetestimonyofMrs。Parsons,anurseintheHawk’sHallHospital,thatwhenwarningwasgivenoftheapproachofZeppelinsduringlastweek’sraidontheEasternCountiesandLondon,thepatientsintheupperroomsofthehospitalwereremovedtoitslowerfloors。Findingthatoneyoungman,aprivateintheSuffolkRegimentwhohaslostbothhisfeet,hadbeenoverlooked,Mrs。Knight,followedbyMrs。Parsons,wentupstairstohelphimdown。WhenMrs。Parsons,whomsheoutran,reachedthedoorofthewardtherewasagreatexplosion,apparentlyontheroof。Shewaitedtillthedusthadclearedoffandgropedherwaydownthewardwiththehelpofanelectrictorch。ReachingPrivateThompson’sbed,shesawlyingonitMrs。Knightwhohadbeenkilledbythefallenmasonry。PrivateThompson,whowasunhurtbeneaththebody,saidthatwhenthebricksbegantocomedownMrs。Knightcalledtohimtoliestillandthrewherselfonhimtoprotecthim。Thensomethingheavy,hebelievedthestonecopingofachimney,fellonherbackandsheutteredoneword,hethoughtitwasaname,andwassilent。Mrs。Knight,whowastheonlychildofthelateSirJohnBlake,Bart。,thewell-knownshipowner,issaidtohavebeenoneoftherichestwomeninEngland。ShemarriedthelateColonelKnightsomemonthsago,immediatelybeforehewassenttoEastAfrica。UndertheprovisionsofherwillthecrematedremainsofMrs。KnightwillbeinterredinthechanceloftheAbbeyChurchatMonk’sAcre。“
Godfreyreadthisawfulparagraphtwiceandlookedatthedateofthepaper。Itwasnearlytwomonthsold。