and the pleasures of her life.  Mrs Clifford was often at Miss Stanbury’s bedside and would have sat there reading for hours together, had she not been made to understand by Martha that Miss Stanbury preferred that Miss Dorothy should read to her.  The sick woman received the Sacrament weekly not from Mr Gibson, but from the hands of another minor canon; and, though she never would admit her own danger, or allow others to talk to her of it, it was known to them all that she admitted it to herself because she had, with much personal annoyance, caused a codicil to be added to her will.  ‘As you didn’t marry that man,’ she said to Dorothy, ‘I must change it again.’  It was in vain that Dorothy begged her not to trouble herself with such thoughts.  ‘That’s trash,’ said Miss Stanbury, angrily.  ’A person who has it is bound to trouble himself about it.  You don’t suppose I’m afraid of dying do you?’ she added.  Dorothy answered her with some commonplace declaring how strongly they all expected to see her as well as ever.  ’I’m not a bit afraid to die,’ said the old woman, wheezing, struggling with such voice as she possessed; ’I’m not afraid of it, and I don’t think I shall die this time; but I’m not going to have mistakes when I’m gone.’  This was on the eve of the new year, and on the same night she asked Dorothy to write to Brooke Burgess, and request him to come to Exeter.  This was Dorothy’s letter: 

’Exeter, 31st December, 186-.

My dear Mr Burgess,

Perhaps I ought to have written before, to say that Aunt Stanbury is not as well as we could wish her; but, as I know that you cannot very well leave your office, I have thought it best not to say anything to frighten you.  But tonight Aunt herself has desired me to tell you that she thinks you ought to know that she is ill, and that she wishes you to come to Exeter for a day or two, if it is possible.  Sir Peter Mancrudy has been here every day since Christmas-day, and I believe he thinks she may get over it.  It is chiefly in the throat what they call bronchitis and she has got to be very weak with it, and at the same time very liable to inflammation.  So I know that you will come if you can.

Yours very truly,

Dorothy Stanbury.

Perhaps I ought to tell you that she had her lawyer here with her the day before yesterday; but she does not seem to think that she herself is in danger.  I read to her a good deal, and I think she is generally asleep; when I stop she wakes, and I don’t believe she gets any other rest at all.’

When it was known in Exeter that Brooke Burgess had been sent for, then the opinion became general that Miss Stanbury’s days were numbered.  Questions were asked of Sir Peter at every corner of the street; but Sir Peter was a discreet man, who could answer such questions without giving any information.  If it so pleased God, his patient would die; but it was quite possible that she might live.  That was