"Mr. Betteredge," he said, "I have a word to say to you about the young
woman's death. Four foot out, broadwise, along the side of the Spit,
there's a shelf of rock, about half fathom down under the sand. My
question is--why didn't she strike that? If she slipped, by accident,
from off the Spit, she fell in where there's foothold at the bottom, at
a depth that would barely cover her to the waist. She must have waded
out, or jumped out, into the Deeps beyond--or she wouldn't be missing
now. No accident, sir! The Deeps of the Quicksand have got her. And they
have got her by her own act."
After that testimony from a man whose knowledge was to be relied on, the
Sergeant was silent. The rest of us, like him, held our peace. With one
accord, we all turned back up the slope of the beach.
At the sand-hillocks we were met by the under-groom, running to us from
the house. The lad is a good lad, and has an honest respect for me. He
handed me a little note, with a decent sorrow in his face. "Penelope
sent me with this, Mr. Betteredge," he said. "She found it in Rosanna's
room."
It was her last farewell word to the old man who had done his
best--thank God, always done his best--to befriend her.
"You have often forgiven me, Mr. Betteredge, in past times. When you
next see the Shivering Sand, try to forgive me once more. I have found
my grave where my grave was waiting for me. I have lived, and died, sir,
grateful for your kindness."
There was no more than that. Little as it was, I hadn't manhood enough
to hold up against it. Your tears come easy, when you're young, and
beginning the world. Your tears come easy, when you're old, and leaving
it. I burst out crying.
Sergeant Cuff took a step nearer to me--meaning kindly, I don't doubt. I
shrank back from him. "Don't touch me," I said. "It's the dread of you,
that has driven her to it."
"You are wrong, Mr. Betteredge," he answered, quietly. "But there will
be time enough to speak of it when we are indoors again."
I followed the rest of them, with the help of the groom's arm. Through
the driving rain we went back--to meet the trouble and the terror that
were waiting for us at the house.