Come, it is time to
start."
And so they went, leaving Beatrice a prey to melancholy forebodings.
She waited in the house for the best part of an hour, making pretence to
play with Effie. Then her anxiety got the better of her; she put on her
hat and started, leaving Effie in charge of the servant Betty.
Beatrice walked quickly along the cliff till she came in sight of
Jones's farm. From where she stood she could make out a great crowd
of men, and even, when the wind turned towards her, catch the noise of
shouting. Presently she heard a sound like the report of a gun, saw the
crowd break up in violent confusion, and then cluster together again in
a dense mass.
"What could it mean?" Beatrice wondered.
As the thought crossed her mind, she perceived two men running towards
her with all their speed, followed by a woman. Three minutes more and
she saw that the woman was Elizabeth.
The men were passing her now.
"What is it?" she cried.
"_Murder!_" they answered with one voice, and sped on towards Bryngelly.
Another moment and Elizabeth was at hand, horror written on her pale
face.
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