soft, moist earth crumbled beneath his feet; for
a second he tottered on the edge, and then went down like a shot.

Pearl stood arrested in that first, quick rush of hers, frozen, gazing
in wild unbelief at the spot where Harry had disappeared. As for
Gallito, he also gazed almost uncomprehendingly, until the expression of
surprise on his livid face gave way to a saturnine and vindictive
satisfaction.

"He did it himself," he muttered, "the fool! I never touched him." Then,
shrugging his shoulders and spreading out his hands as if well content
to leave the matter to fate, he turned and began to walk down the hill,
still muttering as he went.

This roused Pearl from her momentary trance. "Father," she cried wildly,
"you must help me. You tried to hurt him and now you've got to help me.
We must get him. Father, father," she babbled, running after him, "you
must stay, you must help me, you must. You can't go and leave him. Oh,
stay, stay, and I'll do anything, anything in the world. I'll sign the
contract. I'll do anything."

But Gallito went on as if he did not hear her. His own belief was that
Harry was done for. There was not one chance in a thousand that he was
alive, one chance in a million, considering the depth of the ravine.
Well, better so. His conscience was clear. He had not struck him, but
had merely lifted his stick in self-defense after Seagreave had laid
hands on him. As for Pearl, she would eventually turn to him and agree
to his wishes, there was nothing else for her to do. In the meantime, by
leaving her to herself, he avoided the unpleasant sound and sight of her
grief and reproaches. Therefore, in spite of her passionate pleading, he
went on.

And Pearl, finally realizing that she could hope nothing from him,
turned and ran back to the ravine. There she threw herself flat on the
ground and, groaning and sobbing, drew herself to the edge of the cliff
and gazed down into those depths of purple shadow. Much of the snow
still lingered, and for a moment in the white, dazzling glare of the
sunlight on the steep walls, she could see nothing. Then, as her eye
became accustomed to those flashing refractions of light, she gave a
loud, sobbing cry, her whole body became strangely limp and inert. For
one dreadful moment she feared that she was going to faint. Then she
drew on all the strength of her will and was herself again, ready in
that moment of poignant relief to dare anything, do anything to save
him.