“I understand,” she replied; and joining her hands upon her breast, she began to murmur a prayer.

Hodges, who up to this moment had had some difficulty in repressing his emotion, withdrew to a short distance to hide his fast-falling tears.  He was roused shortly after, by a sudden and startling cry from the old woman.

“Oh, sir, she is going! she is going!” ejaculated Mrs. Batley.  He found the exclamation true.  The eyes of the dying girl were closed.  There was a slight quiver of the lips, as if she murmured some name—­probably Rochester’s—­and then all was over.

Hodges gazed at her sorrowfully for some time.  He then roused himself, and giving some necessary directions to the old woman respecting the body, quitted the house.  Not finding the earl at the place he had appointed to meet him, after waiting for a short time, he proceeded, towards his own house.  On the way he was net by Thirlby and Parravicin, as previously related, and conducted to the house in Nicholas-lane.  It will not be necessary to recapitulate what subsequently occurred.  We shall, therefore, proceed to the point of time when he quitted his new patient, and entered the room where Thirlby and Leonard were waiting for him.  Both, as has been stated, rushed towards him, and the former eagerly asked his opinion respecting his daughter.

“My opinion is positive,” replied Hodges.  “With care, she will undoubtedly recover.”

“Heaven be thanked!” cried Thirlby, dropping on his knees.

“And now, one word to me, sir,” cried Leonard.  “What of Amabel?”

“Alas!” exclaimed the doctor, “her troubles are ended.”

“Dead!” shrieked Leonard.

“Ay, dead!” repeated the doctor.  “She died of the plague to-night.”

He then proceeded to detail briefly all that had occurred.  Leonard listened like one stupefied, till he brought his recital to a close, and then asking where the house in which she had died was situated, rushed out of the room, and made his way, he knew not how, into the street.  His brain seemed on fire, and he ran so quickly that his feet appeared scarcely to touch the ground.  A few seconds brought him to London Bridge.  He crossed it, and turning down the street on the left, had nearly reached the house to which he had been directed, when his career was suddenly checked.  The gate of the court-yard was opened, and two men, evidently, from their apparel, buriers of the dead, issued from it.  They carried a long narrow board between them, with a body wrapped in a white sheet placed upon it.  A freezing horror rooted Leonard to the spot where he stood.  He could neither move nor utter a cry.

The men proceeded with their burden towards the adjoining habitation, which was marked with a fatal red cross and inscription.  Before it stood the dead-cart, partly filled with corpses.  The foremost burier carried a lantern, but he held it so low that its light did not fall upon his burden.  Leonard, however, did not require to see the body to know whose it was.  The moon was at its full, and shed a ghastly light over the group, and a large bat wheeled in narrow circles round the dead-cart.