"It's old Mr. Bartle, sir," he whispered. "He's in your room there — dead " "Dead?" exclaimed Eldrick. "Dead " Pratt shook his head again. "He came up not so long after you'd gone, sir," he said. "Everybody had gone but me — I was just going. Wanted to see you about something I don't know what. He was very tottery when he came in — complained of the stairs and the fog. I took him into your room, to sit down in the easy chair. And — he died straight off. Just," concluded Pratt, "just as if he was going quietly to sleep "