Madame let the stick fall, and fell
back fainting on the seat of the trap, while the horse, startled by
the noise, tore down the road at a mad gallop.
Madame Midas lay in a dead faint for some time, and when she came to
herself she was still in the trap, and Rory was calmly trotting
along the road home. At the foot of the hill, the horse, knowing
every inch of the way, had settled down into his steady trot for the
Pactolus, but when Madame grasped the situation, she marvelled to
herself how she had escaped being dashed to pieces in that mad
gallop down the Black Hill.
Her head felt painful from the effects of the blow she had received,
but her one thought was to get home to Archie and Selina, so
gathering up the reins she sent Rory along as quickly as she could.
When she drove up to the gate Archie and Selina were both out to
receive her, and when the former went to lift her off the trap, he
gave a cry of horror at seeing her dishevelled appearance and the
blood on her face.
'God save us!' he cried, lifting her down; 'what's come t' ye, and
where's the nugget?' seeing it was not in the trap.
'Lost!' she said, in a stupor, feeling her head swimming, 'but
there's worse.'
'Worse?' echoed Selina and Archie, who were both standing looking
terrified at one another.
'Yes,' said Mrs Villiers, in a hollow whisper, leaning forward and
grasping Archie's coat, 'I've killed my husband,' and without
another word, she fell fainting to the ground.
Pages:
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155