Out of the Past — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

160 Out of the Past. she kissed him many times, with falling tears, and he slept again. In the morning the house was wakened by one great cry. It brought Benedict from his room, Babette from the kitchen, and the servants huddling at the foot of the stairs. Midway in the room Robert stood looking wildly about him. With both hands he pointed to the empty bed. ‘No, no, my son,” said Benedict, “she is elsewhere in the house. She is better—that is all.” Robert heard none of it. He was rapidly reviewing all that had happened in the last three days. A look of absolute terror grew in his face. Out of the room, and out of the house, and swift over the shelving sands. There was no time to lose. Mother of Compas- sion, she was not yours! Leave her to us! He dared not raise his eyes to the sea breaking north on the peninsula. He raced at it head down. He heard no one behind him. There was blood in his eyes. There was no breath in his body. He came to the spit of sand in the white teeth of the breakers. Whiter than they, Rose, all that had been dearest in the world, lay there at his feet and the sea CONMNICOOOKS»€O©