The speaker is too preoccupied with other concerns to ponder the issue at hand. Mrs. Elder is deceased and only a terrified servant is available to address the situation.
Okay, now to switch gears a bit. Recently, Mrs. Elder passed away and unfortunately, no one seemed to be around to handle the situation except for a visibly scared servant. It's hard to say if she'll have the presence of mind to contact any neighbors for assistance. I can recall leaving the scene in a bit of a daze, and now I realize that some arrangements need to be made for the deceased.
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