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Dr Ennefer had made an autopsy, and found that the immediate cause of death was a blow on the back of the head. But the organs showed traces of alcoholic habit, and the heart was distinctly diseased. It was probable that Mr Sharnall had been seized with a fainting fit as he left the organ-stool, and had fallen backwards with his head on the pedal-board.
It was a favourite resort of hers, both when Mr Sharnall was out, and also when he was at home; for he had known her from childhood, and liked to watch the graceful girlish form as she read quietly while he worked at his music.
"Ah," he said, "my grandfather was no doubt a very sad old man indeed. I must go now, or I shall miss my train. You shall introduce me to Mr Sharnall the next time I come to Cullerne; I have your promise, remember, to take me over the church. Is it not so?" "Yes oh yes, certainly," Westray said, though with less cordiality perhaps than he had used on the previous occasion.
He looked at it fixedly for a moment, and then, forgetting Mr Sharnall and the music, left the loft, and made his way to the wooden platform that the masons had built up under the roof. Mr Sharnall did not even perceive that he had gone down, and dashed con furore into the Gloria.
I am coming to Cullerne at 12:45 to-day fortnight for the Confirmation, and have to be at the Rectory at 2:30, but till then an old friend, Nicholas Sharnall, will give me food and shelter, will he not? Make no excuses, for I shall not accept them; but send me word to say that in this you will not fail of your duty, and believe me always to be "Yours, "John Carum."
Westray returned to Cullerne by the evening train. It was near ten o'clock, and he was finishing his supper, when someone tapped at the door, and Miss Euphemia Joliffe came in. "I beg your pardon for interrupting you, sir," she said; "I am a little anxious about Mr Sharnall. He was not in at teatime, and has not come back since. I thought you might know perhaps where he was.
I have to go to the Rectory, and I suppose you will be going to the church, will you not?" "Yes," said Mr Sharnall; "I'll come with you if you wait one minute. I think I'll take just a drop of something before I go, if you'll excuse me. I feel rather run down, and the service is a long one. You won't join me, of course?" And he went to the cupboard. The Bishop's opportunity was come.
But just as they come to the touch, something takes them off; that's what happened to Martin. I saw him the very day he died. `Sharnall, he said to me, `if I can last out forty-eight hours more, you may take off your hat to me, and say "My lord." "But the nebuly coat was too much for him; he had to die.
It was Mr Sharnall, who carried a pile of music-books under his arm. "Hallo!" he said to the clerk, "what makes you so late? I expected to have to let myself in. I thought you would have been off an hour ago." "Well, things took a bit longer to-night than usual to put away."
You ought to do better than this; if I were you, I would not sing in such company." She looked at him angrily. "How do I come to be here? How do you come to be here? If I had a little training, I should sing better, and if I had your training, Mr Sharnall" and she brought out his name with a sneering emphasis "I should not be here at all, drinking myself silly in a place like this."
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