A Heart's Bitterness — page 151: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A HEART’S BITTERNESS. 143 ““] have always, from a boy, had a strange fancy for knowing what is in the bottom of the Pool.” The dew was still drencbing the tender young leaves and the great pale, fragrant bloom of the primroses, when the party from the Towers went to see the dragging of the Black Pool. ‘There was one little level space of turf near | ap water, beside ‘‘ ‘T'he Earl’s Folly,” and the coroner’s man said: ** We'll lay the body here when we get it.” There Norman Leigh planted himself where the body — would be laid at his feet. But whose body, and what a — sight it would be for him? Back and forth over the Pool rowed the boats, dragging this way and that, until the sun was high. ‘<’There’s naught here, sir,” shouted the men. ‘<There must be some deep, unsoundable hole that the drags do not reach,” said Lord Leigh to the coroner’s man. ‘TI don’t see why we should think a body is there at all,” said the man. ‘It’s only widow Wilcox’s whim, sir.” ‘‘ No body in there?” said Lord Leigh, slowly. ‘‘ None?’ ‘Quite sure there’s none, my lord.” ‘‘Did you think there was a body in there, master?” cried old Adam, pressing forward. ““[ think? No, certainly not,” said Leigh, and fell for- ward senseless. They carried him into ‘‘ The Earl’s Folly,” and laid him on the couch. ‘Then, as Adam loosened his lord’s clothing, he found a revolver, all barrels loaded, ready to his hand. The old man looked at it a little, then hurled it through the window far out into the Pool. It was later in the day when Leigh asked fer ** What_had been in his breast.” | ‘Tt is under the water, master. What did you carry it for? ‘To do the last, wickedest thing a man may?” | ‘© No doubt it is what it will come to. But never mind that now, Adam. I feel better. But let us get to London. It was all nonsense to come up here.” | A load was off Leigh’s heart. The Pool had no tales to teil, no dead man, no dangerous papers. The manhad dis- appeared as strangely as he came. If Helen Hope would also disappear, Lord Leigh would be at igi But the ling atthe house very day he returned to London, Violet, ca yr rey Eomicbooks