Page:Richard Marsh--The goddess a demon.djvu/134

122 with looks of growing horror. The terror of the sight seemed to be gradually forcing itself upon her brain. Stooping a little forward, she began to move farther and farther from the bed. Her voice became husky.

"I killed him; it hacked, hacked, hacked; his blood is on my cloak and hands; the dead man lying on the floor."

She stopped. The something on the bed apparently had for her a dreadful fascination. She seemed to be in two minds as to whether or not to go close to it again, as if she would, and yet would not. Miss Adair touched me on the arm.

"Stop! Don't let her go to it! Don't!"

Her words and touch woke me from a sort of trance. I awoke to a clear realisation of the full horror of the situation—the young girl, with her poor, numbed brain, trying experiments on the man just murdered. "You go to her," I said. "See if she knows you."

It was time some friendly hand was interposed. Inspector Symonds and his colleague showed signs of intervention on their own account, and on lines of their own. Miss Moore began to turn slowly towards the bed.

"I wonder if I could make out where I struck him, and where it hacked."