Page:Frank Stockton - Rudder Grange.djvu/90

Rh Euphemia, who, with myself, was utterly amazed at the behaviour of the dog.

"Because I know more to-day than I did yesterday," answered Pomona. "It is only this afternoon that I read something, as I was coming here on the cars. This is it," she continued, unwrapping her paper parcel, and taking from it one of the two books it contained. "I finished this part just as the cars stopped, and I put my scissors in the place; I'll read it to you."

Standing there with one book still under her arm, the newspaper half unwrapped from it, hanging down and flapping in the breeze, she opened the other volume at the scissors'-place, turned back a page or two, and began to read as follows: "Lord Edward slowly san ter ed up the bro ad anc es tral walk, when sudden ly from out a cop se, there sprang a fur i ous hound. The marsh man, con ce al ed in a tree, expected to see the life's blood of the young nob le man stain the path. But no; Lord Edward did not stop nor turn his head. With a smile he strode stead i ly on. Well he knew that if by be traying no em otion he could show the dog that he was walking where he had a right, the bru te would re cog nize that right and let him pass un scathed. Thus in this moment of peril his nob le courage saved him. The hound, abashed, returned to his cov ert, and Lord Edward pass ed on.

"'Foi led again,' mutter ed the marsh man."

"Now, then," said Pomona, closing the book, "you see I remembered that, the minute I saw the dog coming, and I didn't betray any emotion. Yesterday, now, when I didn't know it, I'd 'a been sure to betray emotion, and he would have had my life's blood. Did he drive you up there?"