第244章（第1页）

the boy had done.

“I had no opportunity of asking her any questions, until I had

told the brothers she was sinking fast, and could not live another

day. Until then, though no one was ever presented to her

consciousness save the woman and myself, one or other of them

had always jealously sat behind the curtain at the head of the bed

when I was there. But when it came to that, they seemed careless

what communication I might hold with her; as ifthe thought

passed through my mindI were dying too.

“I always observed that their pride bitterly resented the

younger brother’s (as I call him) having crossed swords with a

peasant and that peasant a boy. The only consideration that

appeared to affect the mind of either of them was the

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consideration that this was highly degrading to the family, and

was ridiculous. As often as I caught the younger brother’s eyes,

their expression reminded me that he disliked me deeply, for

knowing what I knew from the boy. He was smoother and more

polite to me than the elder; but I saw this. I also saw that I was an

incumbrance in the mind of the elder, too.

“My patient died, two hours before midnightat a time, by my

watch, answering almost to the minute when I had first seen her. I

was alone with her, when her forlorn young head dropped gently

on one side, and all her earthly wrongs and sorrows ended.

“The brothers were waiting in a room down-stairs, impatient to

ride away. I had heard them, alone at the bedside, striking their

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