Campbell, who came suddenly into the room with a
face as white and rigid as marble.
"He's awa'," she said, or rather whispered.
"Who's is away?" shrieked Helen, thinking at once of her father.
"Whisht!" said the old nurse, catching hold of Mrs. Bruce as she was
rushing from the room, and speaking beneath her breath; "wisht! My
lord's deid; but we'll no greet; I canna greet. He's gane awa' hame."
No, it was not the old man who was called. Mr. Cardross lived several
years after then--lived to be nearly ninety. It was the far younger
life--young, and yet how old in suffering!--which had thus
suddenly and unexpectedly come to an end.
The earl was found dead in his bed, in his customary attitude of repose,
just as Malcolm always placed him, and left him till the morning. His
eyes were wide open, so that he could not have died in his sleep. But
how, at what hour, or in what manner he had died--whether the summons
had been slow or sudden, whether he had tried to call assistance and
failed, or whether, calling no one and troubling no one, his fearless
soul had passed, and chosen to pass thus solitary unto its God, none
ever knew or ever could know, and it was all the same now.
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