excitement.
“This be a shocking thing,” she said. “We could all be murdered in our beds.”
The Misses Poldrew stood by. I heard the whispered words. “He assaulted the poor young thing before he strangled her. He deserves to hang twice over … and here he is … He could be in Poldorey this minute …”
The Misses Poldrew would have to make a double check under their beds this evening, I thought.
There was a little about this dangerous man. He had broken out of jail during the night and could be anywhere in the Duchy. Ports were being watched. The public should keep a look out. If they thought they saw him they should not attempt to approach him, but report it at once.
We mounted our horses and rode through the town.
“He’ll soon be found,” said Ben. “He can’t get far with everyone on the alert for him.”
At luncheon we talked about him.
“He’ll hang for this,” said my father. “It is sad for he is apparently quite a well-educated young man. He was a tutor.”
“Looking after children!” cried my mother. “How terrible.”
“He suddenly seemed to go mad. It was some girl in the village. A child of about ten …”
My mother avoided looking at me. She was about my age … this poor girl who had been assaulted and murdered.
My mother said fiercely: “I hope they catch him … soon. He deserves everything he gets … and more. Why do people do such things?”
“It’s a madness,” said my father. “He must have become suddenly insane.”
“Perhaps he could be cured,” I suggested.
“Perhaps, and perhaps not,” said Ben. “And who would ever know that he was cured? It might break out again and someone else be murdered.”
“Yes,” agreed my mother. “It seems that eliminating such people is the only way. He won’t get far,” she added. “No fear of that.”
When luncheon was over Ben said to me: “What about a ride this afternoon?”
“I’d like that,” I replied eagerly.
“You said you were going to show me that pool.”
“Oh yes. Branok.”
“The bottomless pool where the bells are heard when some disaster is about to occur.”
“Yes,” I giggled. “It’s one of those places … like the moor. You can laugh but you can feel it when you are there.”
“Right. In half an hour?”
When I went down to the stables Ben was already there, mounted.
He said: “I’ve just had a command from John Polstark. He wants me to go out with him and look at one of the cottages.”
I was disappointed. “So you can’t come.”
“It won’t take very long. Are you ready to go? I believe the cottage is somewhere near the pool. You go on. Wait for me there.”
I brightened. “I’ll do that.”
And so innocently happy I rode out to the pool, not realizing that life was never going to be the same again.
It was a warm day with just a light coolish breeze. I reached the pool. How silent it was! There was no one about. There rarely was here. I listened intently. I almost felt I could hear the tinkle of bells. It was easy to fancy such things in such a place.
I felt a desire to touch the water. It shimmered in the sunshine. It was still though; there was not a ripple on the surface. I halted my horse and, slipping off her back, looked round for somewhere to tether her. She was docile enough, but I did not want her to wander.
I patted her and said: “Just for a while. Ben will be here soon.”
I went down to the pool and trailed my hand in the water. I half wished that I could hear the bells; and yet I should have been terrified if they had begun to peal. How would they sound under water? Muffled, I supposed. I should be rather frightened but only because I was alone.
My horse whinnied.
I stood still without turning round. “It’s all right, Glory,” I said. “He’ll soon be here … then you’ll be free … though he might want to walk for a while.”
I heard a footstep.
“Ben,” I called. I looked round, but it was not Ben.
“Good afternoon,” he
“This be a shocking thing,” she said. “We could all be murdered in our beds.”
The Misses Poldrew stood by. I heard the whispered words. “He assaulted the poor young thing before he strangled her. He deserves to hang twice over … and here he is … He could be in Poldorey this minute …”
The Misses Poldrew would have to make a double check under their beds this evening, I thought.
There was a little about this dangerous man. He had broken out of jail during the night and could be anywhere in the Duchy. Ports were being watched. The public should keep a look out. If they thought they saw him they should not attempt to approach him, but report it at once.
We mounted our horses and rode through the town.
“He’ll soon be found,” said Ben. “He can’t get far with everyone on the alert for him.”
At luncheon we talked about him.
“He’ll hang for this,” said my father. “It is sad for he is apparently quite a well-educated young man. He was a tutor.”
“Looking after children!” cried my mother. “How terrible.”
“He suddenly seemed to go mad. It was some girl in the village. A child of about ten …”
My mother avoided looking at me. She was about my age … this poor girl who had been assaulted and murdered.
My mother said fiercely: “I hope they catch him … soon. He deserves everything he gets … and more. Why do people do such things?”
“It’s a madness,” said my father. “He must have become suddenly insane.”
“Perhaps he could be cured,” I suggested.
“Perhaps, and perhaps not,” said Ben. “And who would ever know that he was cured? It might break out again and someone else be murdered.”
“Yes,” agreed my mother. “It seems that eliminating such people is the only way. He won’t get far,” she added. “No fear of that.”
When luncheon was over Ben said to me: “What about a ride this afternoon?”
“I’d like that,” I replied eagerly.
“You said you were going to show me that pool.”
“Oh yes. Branok.”
“The bottomless pool where the bells are heard when some disaster is about to occur.”
“Yes,” I giggled. “It’s one of those places … like the moor. You can laugh but you can feel it when you are there.”
“Right. In half an hour?”
When I went down to the stables Ben was already there, mounted.
He said: “I’ve just had a command from John Polstark. He wants me to go out with him and look at one of the cottages.”
I was disappointed. “So you can’t come.”
“It won’t take very long. Are you ready to go? I believe the cottage is somewhere near the pool. You go on. Wait for me there.”
I brightened. “I’ll do that.”
And so innocently happy I rode out to the pool, not realizing that life was never going to be the same again.
It was a warm day with just a light coolish breeze. I reached the pool. How silent it was! There was no one about. There rarely was here. I listened intently. I almost felt I could hear the tinkle of bells. It was easy to fancy such things in such a place.
I felt a desire to touch the water. It shimmered in the sunshine. It was still though; there was not a ripple on the surface. I halted my horse and, slipping off her back, looked round for somewhere to tether her. She was docile enough, but I did not want her to wander.
I patted her and said: “Just for a while. Ben will be here soon.”
I went down to the pool and trailed my hand in the water. I half wished that I could hear the bells; and yet I should have been terrified if they had begun to peal. How would they sound under water? Muffled, I supposed. I should be rather frightened but only because I was alone.
My horse whinnied.
I stood still without turning round. “It’s all right, Glory,” I said. “He’ll soon be here … then you’ll be free … though he might want to walk for a while.”
I heard a footstep.
“Ben,” I called. I looked round, but it was not Ben.
“Good afternoon,” he
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