Ronald walked mechanically to the end of the row of houses, and met
the wide grand view of sea and sky. There were some seats behind the
railing which fenced the edge of the cliff. He sat down, perfectly
stupefied and helpless, on the nearest bench.
At the close of life, the loss of a man's customary nourishment extends
its debilitating influence rapidly from his body to his mind. Mr.
Ronald had tasted nothing but his cup of coffee since the previous
night. His mind began to wander strangely; he was not angry or
frightened or distressed. Instead of thinking of what had just
happened, he was thinking of his young days when he had been a
cricket-player. One special game revived in his memory, at which he had
been struck on the head by the ball. "Just the same feeling," he
reflected vacantly, with his hat off, and his hand on his forehead.
"Dazed and giddy--just the same feeling!"
He leaned back on the bench, and fixed his eyes on the sea, and
wondered languidly what had come to him. Farnaby and the woman, still
following, waited round the corner where they could just keep him in
view.
The blue lustre of the sky was without a cloud; the sunny sea leapt
under the fresh westerly breeze.
Pages:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33