Richard is dead. Has much mercy been shown to me, do you think?"

And the young man seeing her, knowing the absolute sincerity of her
speech, felt a lump rise in his throat. After all, when you have acted
hangman to your own sister, as he reasoned, it is but a small matter to
act slaughterman to a horse.

"Very well," he answered, huskily enough. "It shall be as you wish,
Kitty. Only go back to the sofa, and stay there, please. If I think you
are watching, I can't be quite sure of myself. Something may go wrong,
and we don't want a scene which will make talk. This is a business
which should be got through as quickly and decently as possible."

The sun was but five minutes high, and no longer brightened the
southern house front, though it spread a ruddy splendour over the
western range of gables, and lingered about the stacks of slender
twisted chimneys, and cast long slanting shadows across the lawns and
carriage drives, before Lady Calmady's waiting drew to a close. From
the near trees of the elm avenue, and from the wood overhanging the
pond below the terraced kitchen gardens, came the singing of blackbirds
and thrushes--whether raised as evening hymn in praise of their
Creator, or as love-song each to his mate, who shall say? Possibly as
both, since in simple minds--and that assuredly is matter for
thankfulness--earthly and heavenly affections are bounded by no harsh
dividing line. The chorus of song found its way in at the windows of
Katherine's room--fresh as the spring flowers which filled it, innocent
of hatred and wrong as the face of the now placid baby, his soft cheeks
flushed with slumber, as he nestled in against his mother's bosom.

Indeed a long time had passed. Twice Denny had looked in and, seeing
that quiet reigned, had noiselessly withdrawn. For Katherine, still
physically weak, drained, moreover, by the greatness of her recent
emotion, her senses lulled to rest by the warm contact and even
breathing of the child, had sunk away into a dreamless sleep.

The questioning neigh of a stallion, a scuffle of horse hoofs,
footsteps approaching round the corner of the house, passing across the
broad graveled carriage sweep and on to the turf, aroused her. And
these sounds were so natural, full of vigorous outdoor life and the
wholesome gladness of it, that for a moment she came near repentance of
her purpose. But then feeling, as he rested on her arm, her baby's
shortened, malformed limbs, and thinking of