‘I am sure you are kind good people,’ replied her ladyship gently; ’but I should have thought Mr. Horton, of Grasmere, could have done more than old Evans.  However, you know best.  I hope his lordship is not going to add to your cares by being laid up here, but he looked very ill this evening.’

‘He did, my lady, mortal bad.’

’However, we must hope for the best.  Steadman is a splendid servant in illness.  He nursed my father for years.  Will you tell him to come to me, if you please?  I want to hear what he thinks of his lordship, and to discuss the chances of our getting home early to-morrow.’

The landlady retired, and summoned Mr. Steadman, who was enjoying his modest glass of grog in front of the kitchen fire.  He had taught himself to dispense with the consolations of tobacco, lest he should at any time make himself obnoxious to her ladyship.

Steadman was closeted with Lady Maulevrier for the next half-hour, during which his lordship’s condition was gravely discussed.  When he left the sitting-room he told the landlord to be sure and feed the post-horses well, and make them comfortable for the night, so that they might be ready for the drive to Fellside early next morning.

‘Do you think his lordship will be well enough to travel?’ asked the landlord.

‘He has made up his mind to get home—­ill or well,’ answered Steadman.  ’He has wasted about a week by his dawdling ways on the road; and now he’s in a fever to get to Fellside.’

CHAPTER IV.

The last stage.

The post-horses—­which had been well fed, but accommodated somewhat poorly in stable and barn—­were quite ready to go on next morning; but Lord Maulevrier was not able to leave his room, where her ladyship remained in close attendance upon him.  The hills and valleys were white with snow, but there was none falling, and Mr. Evans, the elderly surgeon from Ambleside, rode over to Great Langdale on his elderly cob to look at Robert Haswell, and was called in to see Lord Maulevrier.  Her ladyship had spoken lightly of his skill on the previous evening, but any doctor is better than none, so this feeble little personage was allowed to feel his lordship’s pulse, and look at his lordship’s tongue.

His opinion, never too decidedly given, was a little more hazy than usual on this occasion, perhaps because of a certain awfulness, to unaccustomed eyes, in Lady Maulevrier’s proud bearing.  He said that his lordship was low, very low, and that the pulse was more irregular than he liked, but he committed himself no further than this, and went away, promising to send such pills and potions as were appropriate to the patient’s condition.

A boy rode the same pony over to Langdale later in the afternoon with the promised medicines.