122 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



servant, he used to say to him in the morning, ' I am sorry 

 to have disturbed you so often ; you will find a sovereign 

 on my table, take it.' 



" His death was at last rather sudden. He was very ill 

 when he left Loudon in August, 1858 ; but bore the day's 

 journey to Vaenol better than was expected, and in a week 

 seemed to rally considerably. In the meanwhile, all his 

 anxiety seemed to be centred on Mrs. Smith, who had been 

 very ill for some months, insomuch that he had written to 

 beg her sister, INIrs. Heneage, and her family, to give up their 

 tour in Scotland and come immediately to Vaenol, which 

 they did, and found her in a most anxious state, but the 

 squire far better than he had been for some time. However, 

 on the Thursday after their arrival, Mr. Smith complained 

 of feeling very weak, and said he should not go down stairs, 

 which was so unusual an act of self-indulgence that Attwell 

 for the first time gave him up ; and, sure enough, he never 

 left his room again On the Saturday morning he fell into 

 a stupor, from which the medical men and those about him 

 had no hope of his rallying. When this sad conviction was 

 gently broken to his wife, it was unexpected by her, for she 

 had seen his sufferings so much greater that she could not, 

 and would not, believe he was to pass away without one 

 kind word to her. After remaining in this state throughout 

 the day, he suddenly opened his eyes, and in his usual power- 

 ful and firm voice he asked for something to drink, to the 

 amazement of all about him. The next day he was better, 

 and wrote a cheque for money that he ought to have given 

 the day before, remembering it of his own accord. The 

 three following days he remained placid, apparently not 

 suffering much, and at times insensible. In a moment of 

 consciousness, evidently aware of his approaching end, 

 he said to his devoted wife, ' Take care of that man,' 

 pointing to his faithful valet ; and when Mrs. Smith left 

 the room, he said to her maid, ' Watch over your mistress ; 

 take care of her.' 



