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which smelled faintly of ammonia。 He did not just pass this beneath her nose but pressed it briefly against her lower face。 The possibility Colter had raised； however faint； was too hideous to merit much in the way of consideration。
She jerked； cried out； and opened her eyes。 For a moment she looked at him with dazed； unprehending bewilderment。 Then she sat up。
〃No；〃 she said。 〃No； Mr。 Geoffrey； say ye don't mean it； say it isn't true … 〃
〃I don't know if it is true or not；〃 he said。 〃But we must satisfy ourselves immediately。 Immediately； Mrs。 Ramage。 I can't do all the digging myself； if there's digging that must be done 。 。 。 〃 She was staring at him with horrified eyes； her hands pressed so tightly over her mouth that the nails were white。 〃Can you help me； if help is needed？ There's really no one else。〃
〃My Lord；〃 she said numbly。 〃My Lord Mr。 Ian … 〃
〃 … must know nothing of this until we know more！〃 He said。 〃If God is good； he need never know at all。〃 He would not voice to her the unspoken hope at the back of his mind； a hope which seemed to him almost as monstrous as his fears。 If God was very good； he would find out about this night's work 。 。 。 when his wife and only 1ove was restored to him； her return from the dead almost as miraculous as that of Lazarus。 IN 〃Oh； this is terrible 。 。 。 terrible！〃 she said in a faint； fluttery voice。 Holding onto the table； she managed to pull herself to her feet。 She stood； swaying； little straggles of hair hanging around her face among the muskrat…tails of her cap。
〃Are you well enough？〃 he asked； more kindly。 〃If not； then I must try to carry on as best I can by myself。〃 She drew a deep； shuddering breath and let it out。 The side…to…side sway stopped。 She turned and walked toward the pantry。 〃There's a pair of spades in the shed out back；〃 she said。 〃A pick as well； I think。 Throw them in your trap。 There's half a bottle of gin out here in the pantry。 Been here untouched since Bill died five years ago； on Lammas…night。 I'll have a bit and then join you； Mr。 Geoffrey。〃
〃You're a brave woman； Mrs。 Ramage。 Be quick。〃
〃Aye； never fear me；〃 she said； and grasped the bottle of gin with a hand that trembled only slightly。 There was no dust on the bottle … not even the pa0try was safe from the relentless dust…clout of Mrs。 Ramage … but the label reading CLOUGH & POOR BOOZIERS was yellow。 〃Be quick yourself。〃 She had always hated spirits and her stomach wanted to sick the gin； with its nasty junipery smell and oily taste； back up。 She made it stay down。 Tonight she would need it。
CHAPTER 6
Under clouds that still raced east to west； blacker shapes against a black sky； and a moon that was now settling toward the horizon； the pony…trap sped toward the churchyard。 It was now Mrs。 Ramage who drove； cracking the whip over the bewildered Mary； who would have told them； if horses could talk； that this was all wrong … she was supposed to be dozing in her warm stall e this time of night。 The spades and the pick chattered coldly one against the other； and Mrs。 Ramage thought they would have given anyone who had seen them a proper fright … they must look like a pair of Mr。 Dickens's resurrection men 。 。 。 or perhaps one resurrection man sitting in a pony…trap driven by a ghost。 For she was all in white … had not even paused long enough to gather up her robe。 Her nightgown fluttered around her stout； vein…puffed ankles； and the tails of her cap streamed wildly out behind her。
Here was the church。 She turned Mary up the lane which ran beside it； shivering at the ghostly sound of the wind playing along the eaves。 She had a moment to wonder why such a holy place as a church should seem so frightening after dark； and then realized it was not the church 。 。 。 it was the errand。
Her first thought upon ing out of her faint was that My Lord must help them … hadn't he been there in all things； through thick and thin； never wavering？ A moment later she had realized how mad the idea was。 This was not a matter of My Lord's courage； but of his very sanity。
She hadn't needed Mr。 Geoffrey to tell her so； the memory of Miss Evelyn…Hyde had done that。
She realized that neither Mr。 Geoffrey nor My Lord had been in Little Dunthorpe when it had happened。 This had been almost half a year ago； in the spring。 Misery had entered the rosy summer of her pregnancy； morning sickness behind her； the final rising of her belly and its attendant disfort still ahead； and she had cheerfully sent the two men off for a week of grouse…shooting and card…playing and footballing and heaven alone knew what other masculine foolishness at Oak Hall in Doncaster。 My Lord had been a bit doubtful； but Misery assured him she would be fine； and nearly pushed him out the door。 That Misery would be fine Mrs。 Ramage had no doubt。 But whenever My Lord and Mr。 Geoffrey left for Doncaster； she wondered if one of them … or perhaps both … might not return on the back of a cart； toes up。
Oak Hall was the inheritance of Albert Fossington； a schoolmate of Geoffrey's and Ian's。 Mrs。 Ramage quite rightly believed that Bertie Fossington was mad。 Some three years ago he had eaten his favorite polo pony after it had broken two legs and needed to be destroyed。 It was a gesture of affection； he said。 〃Learned it from the fuzzy…wuzzies in Capetown；〃 he said。 〃Griquas。 Wonderful chaps。 Put sticks and things in their smoochers； what？ Some of 〃em look like they could carry all twelve volumes of the Royal Navigation Charts on their lower lips； ha…ha！ Taught me that each make must eat the thing he loves。 Rather poetic in a grisly sort of way； what？〃 In spite of I such bizarre behavior； Mr。 Geoffrey and My Lord retained a great affection for Bertie。 （I wonder if that means they'll have to eat him when he's dead？ Mrs。 Ramage had once wondered after a visit from Bertie during which he had tried to play croquet with one of the housecats； quite shattering its poor little head）； and they had spent nearly ten days at Oak Hall this past spring。
Not more than a day or two after they left； Miss Charlotte Evelyn…Hyde of Storping…on…Firkill had been found dead on the back lawn of her home； Cove o'Birches。 There had been a freshly picked bunch of flowers near one outstretched hand。 The village doctor was a man named Billford … a capable man by all accounts。 Nevertheless； he had called old Dr。 Shinebone in to consult。 Billford had diagnosed the fatal malady as a heart attack； although the girl was very young … only eighteen … and had seemed in the pink of health。 Billford was puzzled。
Something seemed not at all right。 Old Shinny had been clearly puzzled as well； but in the end he had concurred with the diagnosis。 So did most of the village； for that matter … the girl's heart had not been properly made； that was all； such things were rare but everyone could recall such a sad case at one time or another。 It was probably this universal concurrence that had saved Billford's practice … if not his head … following the ghastly denouement。 Although everyone had agreed that the girl's death was puzzling； it had crossed no one's mind that she might not be dead at all。
Four days following the interment； an elderly woman named Mrs。 Soame