FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   >>  
nter. The visitors, having arranged their plans of amusement for the day, were on their way out of the hotel. In a minute or two, there was silence once more. Henry turned to the window, thinking to relieve his mind by looking at the bright view over the canal. He soon grew wearied of the familiar scene. The morbid fascination which seems to be exercised by all horrible sights, drew him back again to the ghastly object on the floor. Dream or reality, how had Agnes survived the sight of it? As the question passed through his mind, he noticed for the first time something lying on the floor near the head. Looking closer, he perceived a thin little plate of gold, with three false teeth attached to it, which had apparently dropped out (loosened by the shock) when the manager let the head fall on the floor. The importance of this discovery, and the necessity of not too readily communicating it to others, instantly struck Henry. Here surely was a chance--if any chance remained--of identifying the shocking relic of humanity which lay before him, the dumb witness of a crime! Acting on this idea, he took possession of the teeth, purposing to use them as a last means of inquiry when other attempts at investigation had been tried and had failed. He went back again to the window: the solitude of the room began to weigh on his spirits. As he looked out again at the view, there was a soft knock at the door. He hastened to open it--and checked himself in the act. A doubt occurred to him. Was it the manager who had knocked? He called out, 'Who is there?' The voice of Agnes answered him. 'Have you anything to tell me, Henry?' He was hardly able to reply. 'Not just now,' he said, confusedly. 'Forgive me if I don't open the door. I will speak to you a little later.' The sweet voice made itself heard again, pleading with him piteously. 'Don't leave me alone, Henry! I can't go back to the happy people downstairs.' How could he resist that appeal? He heard her sigh--he heard the rustling of her dress as she moved away in despair. The very thing that he had shrunk from doing but a few minutes since was the thing that he did now! He joined Agnes in the corridor. She turned as she heard him, and pointed, trembling, in the direction of the closed room. 'Is it so terrible as that?' she asked faintly. He put his arm round her to support her. A thought came to him as he looked at her, waiting in doubt and fear for his reply. 'You
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   >>  



Top keywords:
looked
 

chance

 

manager

 

window

 

turned

 
answered
 
faintly
 

closed

 
terrible
 

knocked


waiting

 

spirits

 
solitude
 

hastened

 
occurred
 

support

 
checked
 
thought
 

called

 

Forgive


resist

 

minutes

 

people

 

downstairs

 

failed

 

appeal

 

shrunk

 

rustling

 

joined

 

pointed


trembling

 
direction
 

despair

 

piteously

 

corridor

 
pleading
 

confusedly

 
humanity
 

sights

 
horrible

ghastly
 

object

 
exercised
 
morbid
 

fascination

 

reality

 
noticed
 

passed

 
survived
 

question