He is scarcely conscious now.

You see, he is an old man, and has no reserve of strength to fall back upon.
Your father has been such a good friend to him that it is not surprising the news should have been too much for him.

I examined him at the Squire's request some months ago as to his heart's action, which was so weak that I told the Squire then that he might go off at any time, and I rather wonder that he recovered even temporarily from the shock." In a few minutes Sir Charles Harris drove up.
"This is terrible news, my dear Mark," he said, as he leaped from his gig and wrung Mark's hand--"terrible.

I don't know when I have had such a shock; he was a noble fellow in all respects, a warm friend, an excellent magistrate, a kind landlord, good all round.

I can scarcely believe it yet.