Butinhispulsetherewasnothrob，Noronhislips。onedyingsob；Sigh，norword，norstrugglingbreathHeraldedhiswaytodeath。SiegeofCorinth。Mybrainrunsthiswayandthatway；’twillnotfixOnaughtbutvengeance。DukeofGuise。ImustnowgobacktoanhourortwobeforeMaryandherfriendspartedforthenight。Itmightbeabouteighto’clockthatevening，andthethreeMissCarsonsweresittingintheirfather’sdrawing-room。Hewasasleepinthedining-room，inhisowncomfortablechair。MrsCarsonwasaswasusualwithher，whennoparticularexcitementwasgoingonverypoorly，andsittingup-stairsinherdressing-room，indulgingintheluxuryofaheadache。Shewasnotwell，certainly。“Windinthehead，“theservantscalledit。Butitwasbutthenaturalconsequenceofthestateofmentalandbodilyidlenessinwhichshewasplaced。Withouteducationenoughtovaluetheresourcesofwealthandleisure，shewassocircumstancedastocommandboth。Itwouldhavedonehermoregoodthanalltheetherandsal-volatileshewasdailyinthehabitofswallowing，ifshemighthavetakentheworkofoneofherownhousemaidsforaweek；madebeds，rubbedtables，shakencarpets，andgoneoutintothefreshmorningair，withoutalltheparaphernaliaofshawl，cloak，boa，furboots，bonnet，andveil，inwhichshewasequippedbeforesettingoutforan“airing，“inthecloselyshut-upcarriage。Sothethreegirlswerebythemselvesinthecomfortable，elegant，well-lighteddrawing-room；and，likemanysimilarly-situatedyoungladies，theydidnotexactlyknowwhattodotowhileawaythetimeuntilthetea-hour。
Theeldertwohadbeenatadancing-partythenightbefore，andwerelistlessandsleepyinconsequence。Onetriedtoread“Emerson’sEssays，“andfellasleepintheattempt；theotherwasturningoveraparcelofnewsongs，inordertoselectwhatsheliked。Amy，theyoungest，wascopyingsomemanuscriptmusic。Theairwasheavywiththefragranceofstrongly-scentedflowers，whichsentouttheirnightodoursfromanadjoiningconservatory。Theclockonthechimney-piecechimedeight。Sophythesleepingsister
startedupatthesound。“Whato’clockisthat？“sheasked。“Eight，“saidAmy。“Oh，dear!howtiredIam!IsHarrycomein？Teawillrouseoneupalittle。
Areyounotwornout，Helen？““Yes；Iamtiredenough。Oneisgoodfornothingthedayafteradance。
YetIdon’tfeelwearyatthetime；Isupposeitisthelatenessofthehours。““Andyet，howcoulditbemanagedotherwise？Somanydon’tdinetillfiveorsix，thatonecannotbeginbeforeeightornine；andthenittakesalongtimetogetintothespiritoftheevening。Itisalwaysmorepleasantaftersupperthanbefore。““Well，I’mtootiredto-nighttoreformtheworldinthematterofdancesorballs。Whatareyoucopying，Amy？““OnlythatlittleSpanishairyousing，’Quienquiera。’““Whatareyoucopyingitfor？“askedHelen。“Harryaskedmetodoitforhimthismorningatbreakfast-time——forMissRichardson，hesaid。““ForJaneRichardson!“saidSophy，asifanewideawerereceivingstrengthinhermind。“DoyouthinkHarrymeansanythingbyhisattentiontoher？“askedHelen。“Nay，Idonotknowanythingmorethanyoudo；Icanonlyobserveandconjecture。
Whatdoyouthink，Helen？““Harryalwayslikestobeofconsequencetothebelleoftheroom。Ifonegirlismoreadmiredthananother，helikestoflutterabouther，andseemtobeonintimatetermswithher。Thatishisway，andIhavenotnoticedanythingbeyondthatinhismannertoJaneRichardson。““ButIdon’tthinksheknowsit’sonlyhisway。JustwatchherthenexttimewemeetherwhenHarryisthere，andseehowshecrimsons，andlooksanotherwaywhenshefeelsheiscominguptoher。Ithinkheseesit，too，andIthinkheispleasedwithit。““IdaresayHarrywouldlikewellenoughtoturntheheadofsuchalovelygirlasJaneRichardson。ButI’mnotconvincedthathe’sinlove，whatevershemaybe。““Well，then!“saidSophy，indignantly，“thoughitisourownbrother，I
dothinkheisbehavingverywrongly。ThemoreIthinkofit，themoresureIamthatshethinkshemeanssomething，andthatheintendshertothinkso。Andthen，whenheleavesoffpayingherattention——““Whichwillbeassoonasaprettiergirlmakesherappearance，“interruptedHelen。“Assoonasheleavesoffpayingherattention，“resumedSophy，“shewillhavemanyandmanyaheart-ache，andthenshewillhardenherselfintobeingaflirt，afeminineflirt，asheisamasculineflirt。Poorgirl““Idon’tliketohearyouspeaksoofHarry，“saidAmy，lookingupatSophy。“AndIdon’tliketohavetospeakso，Amy，forIlovehimdearly。Heisagood，kindbrother，butIdothinkhimvain，andIthinkhehardlyknowsthemisery，thecrime，towhichindulgedvanitymayleadhim。“Helenyawned。“Oh!doyouthinkwemayringfortea。Sleepingafterdinnermakesmesofeverish。““Yes，surely。Whyshouldnotwe？“saidthemoreenergeticSophy，pullingthebellwithsomedetermination。“Tea，directly，Parker，“saidshe，authoritatively，asthemanenteredtheroom。ShewastoolittleinthehabitofreadingexpressionsonthefacesofotherstonoticeParker’scountenance。Yetitwasstriking。Itwasblanchedtoadeadwhiteness；thelipscompressedasiftokeepwithinsometaleofhorror；theeyesdistendedandunnatural。
Itwasaterror-strickenface。Thegirlsbegantoputawaytheirmusicandbooks，inpreparationfortea。
Thedoorslowlyopenedagain，andthistimeitwasthenursewhoentered。
Icallhernurse，forsuchhadbeenherofficeinbygonedays，thoughnowsheheldratherananomaloussituationinthefamily。Seamstress，attendantontheyoungladies，keeperofthestores；only“Nurse“wasstillhername。
Shehadlivedlongerwiththemthananyotherservant，andtohertheirmannerwasfarlesshaughtythantotheotherdomestics。Sheoccasionallycameintothedrawing-roomtolookforthingsbelongingtotheirfatherormother，soitdidnotexciteanysurprisewhensheadvancedintotheroom。Theywentonarrangingtheirvariousarticlesofemployment。Shewantedthemtolookup。Shewantedthemtoreadsomethinginherface——
herfacesofullofwoe，ofhorror。Buttheywentonwithouttakinganynotice。Shecoughed；notanaturalcough；butoneofthosecoughswhichaskssoplainlyforremark。“Dearnurse，whatisthematter？“askedAmy。“Arenotyouwell？““Ismammaill？“askedSophyquickly。“Speak，speak，nurse!“saidtheyall，astheysawhereffortstoarticulatechokedbytheconvulsiverisinginherthroat。Theyclusteredroundherwitheagerfaces，catchingaglimpseofsometerribletruthtoberevealed。“Mydearyoungladies!mydeargirls!“shegaspedoutatlength，andthensheburstintotears。“Oh!dotelluswhatitis，nurse!“saidone。“Any-thingisbetterthanthis。Speak!““Mychildren!Idon’tknowbowtobreakittoyou。Mydears，poorMrHarryisbroughthome——““Broughthome——broughthome——how？“Instinctivelytheysanktheirvoicestoawhisper；butafearfulwhisperitwas。Inthesamelowtone，asifafraidlestthewalls，thefurniture，theinanimatethingswhichtoldofpreparationforlifeandcomfort，shouldhear，sheanswered，“Dead!“Amyclutchedhernurse’sarm，andfixedhereyesonherasiftoknowifsuchatalecouldbetrue；andwhenshereaditsconfirmationinthosesad，mournful，unflinchingeyes，shesank，withoutwordorsound，downinafaintuponthefloor。Onesistersatdownonanottoman，andcoveredherface，totryandrealizeit。ThatwasSophy。Helenthrewherselfonthesofa，andburyingherheadinthepillows，triedtostiflethescreamsandmoanswhichshookherframe。Thenursestoodsilent。Shehadnottoldall。“Tellme，“saidSophy，lookingup，andspeakinginahoarsevoice，whichtoldoftheinwardpain，“tellme，nurse!Ishedead，didyousay？
Haveyousentforadoctor？Oh!sendforone，sendforone，“continuedshe，hervoicerisingtoshrillness，andstartingtoherfeet。Helenliftedherselfup，andlooked，withbreathlesswaiting，towardsnurse。“Mydears，heisdead!ButIhavesentforadoctor。IhavedoneallI
could。““Whendidhe——whendidtheybringhimhome？“askedSophy。“Perhapstenminutesago。BeforeyourangforParker。““Howdidhedie？Wheredidtheyfindhim？Helookedsowell。Healwaysseemedsostrong。Oh!areyousureheisdead？“Shewenttowardsthedoor。Nurselaidherhandonherarm。“MissSophy，Ihavenottoldyouall。Canyoubeartohearit？Remember，masterisinthenextroom，andheknowsnothingyet。Come，youmusthelpmetotellhim。Now，bequiet，dear!Itwasnocommondeathhedied!“Shelookedinherfaceasiftryingtoconveyhermeaningbyhereyes。Sophy’slipsmoved，butnursecouldhearnosound。“HehasbeenshotashewascominghomealongTurnerStreetto-night。“Sophywentonwiththemotionofherlips，twitchingthemalmostconvulsively。“Mydear，youmustrouseyourself，andrememberyourfatherandmotherhaveyettobetold。SpeakMissSophy!“Butshecouldnot；herwholefaceworkedinvoluntarily。Thenurselefttheroom，andalmostimmediatelybroughtbacksomesal-volatileandwater。
Sophydrankiteagerly，andgaveoneortwodeepgasps。Thenshespokeinacalm，unnaturalvoice。“Whatdoyouwantmetodo，nurse？GotoHelen，andpoorAmy。See，theywanthelp。““Poorcreatures!wemustletthemaloneforabit。Youmustgotomaster；
that’swhatIwantyoutodo，MissSophy。Youmustbreakittohim，pooroldgentleman!Come，he’sasleepinthedining-room，andthemenarewaitingtospeaktohim。“Sophywentmechanicallytothedining-roomdoor。“Oh!Icannotgoin。Icannottellhim。WhatmustIsay？““I’llcomewithyou，MissSophy。Breakittohimbydegrees。““Ican’t，nurse。Myheadthrobsso，Ishallbesuretosaythewrongthing。“However，sheopenedthedoor。Theresatthefather，theshadedlightofthecandle-lampfallingupon，andsofteninghismarkedfeatures，whilehissnowyhaircontrastedwellwiththedeepcrimsonmoroccoofthechair。
Thenewspaperhehadbeenreadinghaddroppedonthecarpetbyhisside。
Hebreathedregularlyanddeeply。AtthatinstantthewordsofMrsHemans’ssongcamefullinSophy’smind：——Yeknownotwhatyedo，ThatcalltheslumbererbackFromtherealmsunseenbyyou，Tolife’sdimwearytrack。Butthislife’strackwouldbetothebereavedfathersomethingmorethandimandweary，hereafter。“Papa，“saidshe，softly。Hedidnotstir。“Papa!“sheexclaimedsomewhatlouder。Hestartedup，halfawake。“Teaisready，isit？“andheyawned。“No!papa，butsomethingverydreadful——verysad，hashappened!“Hewasgapingsoloudthathedidnotcatchthewordssheuttered，anddidnotseetheexpressionofherface。“MasterHenryisnotcomeback，“saidnurse。Hervoice，heardinunusualspeechtohim，arrestedhisattention，andrubbinghiseyes，helookedattheservant。“Harry!ohno!hehadtoattendameetingofthemastersaboutthesecursedturn-outs。Idon’texpecthimyet。Whatareyoulookingatmesostrangelyfor，Sophy？““Oh，papa，Harryiscomeback，“saidshe，burstingintotears……“Whatdoyoumean？“saidhe，startledintoanimpatientconsciousnessthatsomethingwaswrong。“Oneofyousaysheisnotcomehome，andtheothersaysheis。Now，that’snonsense!Tellmeatoncewhat’sthematter。Didhegoonhorsebacktotown？Ishethrown？Speak，child，can’tyou？““No!he’snotbeenthrown，papa，saidSophy，sadly。“Buthe’sbadlyhurt，“putinthenurse，desiroustobedrawinghisanxietytoapoint。“Hurt？Where？How？Haveyousentforadoctor？“saidhe，hastilyrising，asiftoleavetheroom。“Yes，papa，we’vesentforadoctor——butI’mafraid——Ibelieveit’sofnouse。“Helookedatherforamoment，andinherfacehereadthetruth。Hisson，hisonlyson，wasdead。Hesankbackinhischair，andhidhisfaceinhishands，andbowedhisheaduponthetable。Thestrongmahoganydining-tableshookandrattledunderhisagony。Sophywentandputherarmsroundhisbowedneck。“Go!youarenotHarry，“saidhe；buttheactionrousedhim。“Whereishe？whereisthe——“saidhe，withhisstrongfacesetintothelinesofanguish，bytwominutesofsuchintensewoe。“Intheservants’hall，“repliednurse。“Twopolicemenandanothermanbroughthimhome。Theywouldbegladtospeaktoyouwhenyouareable，sir。’“Iamnowable，“repliedhe。Atfirstwhenhestooduphetottered。Butsteadyinghimself；hewalked，asfirmlyasasoldierondrill，tothedoor。