he floor,
he saw in a few seconds that Annetta had been dead some time. He even
shook his head a little, very slowly, which meant a great deal for his
hard nature. Glancing at the unstoppered bottle and at the empty glass,
side by side on the table, he understood at once that the girl,
intentionally or by mistake, had swallowed enough of the poison to kill
half-a-dozen strong men. He remembered instantly how he had once given
her spirits of camphor when she had felt ill, and he understood all the
circumstances in a moment, almost as though he had seen them.

Scarcely thinking of what he was doing, though with an effort which any
one who has attempted to lift a dead body from the ground will
understand, he took up the lifeless girl, stiff and stark as she was,
and laid her upon his own bed. It was a mere instinct of humanity. Then
he went back and took the lamp and held it near her face, and shook his
head again, thoughtfully. A word of pity escaped his lips, spoken very
low.

He set the lamp down on the floor by the bedside, for there was no small
table near. There never is, in peasants' houses. He began to walk up and
down the room, thinking over the situation, which was grave enough.

Suddenly he smelt the acrid odour of burning cotton. He turned quickly,
and saw that he had placed the three-beaked lamp so near to the bed that
the overhanging coverlet was directly above one of the flames, and was
already smouldering. He smothered it with the stuff itself between his
hands, brought the lamp into the laboratory, and set it upon the table.

Then, realizing that his own case was urgent, he began to make his
preparations. He took a clean bottle and poured thirty-five drops of
laudanum into it, put in the stopper, and thrust it into his pocket.
Unlocking another box, he took out some papers and a canvas bag of gold,
such as bankers used to give travellers in those times when it was
necessary to take a large supply of cash for a journey. He threw on his
cloak, took his plaid over one arm and went back into his bedroom,
carrying the lamp in the other hand. Then he hesitated, sniffing the air
and the smell of the burnt cotton. Suddenly an idea seemed to cross his
mind, for he put down the lamp and dropped his plaid upon a chair. He
stood still a moment longer, looking at the dead girl as she lay on the
bed, biting his lip thoughtfully, and nodding his head once or twice. He
made a step towards the bed, then hesitated once m