they expected mrs. mallard react to mr. mallard with sadness, anguish and despair, so they sought to give her the news of his death as gently as possible. So it was. She showed Josephine and Richard that she was sad, but inside of herself, she was rejoicing, because she was finally free from her husband.
When they find out he (mr. mallard) did not die, he appears to them and even though they try to hide from mrs. mallards, she can't help seeing it and dies from a heart attack.
