Indeed, he was so stricken by it that he had
actually made a move to withdraw, when the exigency of the
occasion returned upon him in full force, and, with a smothered
oath, he overcame his weakness and stepped firmly up into the
ruins.
The noise he made should have caused Deborah's tall and graceful
figure to turn. But the spell of her own thoughts was too great;
and he would have found himself compelled to utter the first word,
if the child, who had heard him plainly enough, had not dragged at
the woman's hand and so woke her from her dream.
"Ah, Judge Ostrander," she exclaimed in a hasty but not ungraceful
greeting, "you are very punctual. I was not looking for you yet."
Then, as she noted the gloom under which he was labouring, she
continued with real feeling, "Indeed, I appreciate this sacrifice
you have made to my wishes. It was asking a great deal of you to
come here; but I saw no other way of making my point clear. Come
over here, Peggy, and build me a little house out of these stones.
You don't mind the child, do you, judge? She may offer a diversion
if our retreat is invaded."
The gesture of disavowal which he made was courteous but
insincere. He did mind the child, but he could not explain why;
besides he must overcome such folly.
"Now," she continued as she rejoined him on the place where he had
taken his stand, "I will ask you to go back with me to the hour
when John Scoville left the tavern on that fatal day. I am not now
on oath, but I might as well be for any slip I shall make in the
exact truth.
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