The law stands so to this day."
"Think you, in any sudden case, a man could do as much _now?_"
"He _could_," answered the lawyer; "but where's the man who _would?_
Only one who must die in any chance, and then none but a murderer, I
should say."
"I don't know--I don't know that," said Ralph, rising with
ill-concealed agitation, and stalking out of the room, without the
curtest leave-taking.
VI.
On Tuesday, Ralph was walking through Kendal on his northward journey.
The day was young. Ralph meant to take a meal at the old coaching
house, the Woodman, in Kirkland, by the river Kent, and then push on
till nightfall.
The horn of the incoming coach fell on his ear, and the coach
itself--the Carlisle coach, laden with passengers from back to
front--swept into the courtyard of the inn at the moment he entered it
afoot.
There was a little commotion there. A group of the serving folk, the
maids in their caps, the ostlers bareheaded, and some occasional
stable people were gathered near the taproom door. The driver of the
coach got off his box and crushed into the middle of this company.
Pages:
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374