The house was empty, save for me and the poor dead girl; and I was bidden to stay till her corpse was removed, for the nurse said she was wanted in a dozen places at once, and that she had too much to do with the sick to attend upon the dead." "And thou wert willing to wait ?" "I could not leave her alone.

Besides, I feared to walk the streets till night.

The nurse bid me not linger after the body was taken, for no man knows when the houses will be shut up, so that none can go forth who have been with an infected person.

But it is not so done yet, and I was free.

But I dared not come home amongst you all to bring, perhaps, death with me.