A Collection

Lady Molly - The End

arms, so yielding and gracious did she seem. But some look or gesture on her part must
have checked him, for he turned and walked quickly down the drive.

Lady Molly stood in the doorway gazing out towards the sunset. I, in my humble mind,
wondered once again what was the purport of this cruel game.

III

Half an hour later she called to me, asked for her hat, told me to put on mine and to come out
for a stroll.

As so often happened, she led the way towards the Elkhorn woods, which, in spite, or
perhaps because, of the painful memories they evoked, was a very favorite walk of hers.

As a rule the wood, especially that portion of it where the unfortunate solicitor had been
murdered, was deserted after sunset. The villagers declared that Mr. Steadman's ghost
haunted the clearing, and that the cry of the murdered man, as he was being foully struck
from behind, could be distinctly heard echoing through the trees.

Needless to say these superstitious fancies never disturbed Lady Molly. She liked to wander
over the ground where was committed that mysterious crime which had sent to ignominy
worse than death the man she loved so passionately. It seemed as if she meant to wrench its
secret from the silent ground, from the leafy undergrowth, from the furtive inhabitants of the
glades.

The sun had gone down behind the hills; the wood was dark and still. We strolled up as far
as the first clearing, where a plain granite stone, put up by Mr. Philip Baddock, marked the
spot where Mr. Steadman had been murdered.

We sat down on it to rest. My dear lady's mood was a silent one; I did not dare to disturb it,
and, for a while, only the gentle "hush--sh--sh" of the leaves, stirred by the evening breeze,
broke the peaceful stillness of the glade.

Then we heard a murmur of voices, deep-toned and low. We could not hear the words
spoken, though we both strained our ears, and presently Lady Molly arose and cautiously
made her way among the trees in the direction whence the voices came, I following as closely
as I could.

We had not gone far when we recognized the voices and heard the words that were said. I
paused, distinctly frightened, whilst my dear lady whispered a warning, "Hush!"

Never in all my life had I heard so much hatred, such vengeful malignity expressed in the
intonation of the human voice as I did in the half-dozen words which now struck my ear.

"You will give her up, or----"