I saw her there sixteen years ago, when I went to bring this
child down. I went to save her from the kind of life her mother was
leading--but I'd better have left her in the kennel she came from...."
He paused and stared darkly at the two young people, and out beyond
them, at the menacing Mountain with its rim of fire; then he sat down
beside the table on which they had so often spread their rustic supper,
and covered his face with his hands. Harney leaned in the window, a
frown on his face: he was twirling between his fingers a small package
that dangled from a loop of string.... Charity heard Mr. Royall draw a
hard breath or two, and his shoulders shook a little. Presently he
stood up and walked across the room. He did not look again at the young
people: they saw him feel his way to the door and fumble for the latch;
and then he went out into the darkness.
After he had gone there was a long silence. Charity waited for Harney to
speak; but he seemed at first not to find anything to say. At length he
broke out irrelevantly: "I wonder how he found out?"
She made no answer and he tossed down the package he had been holding,
and went up to her.
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