Read Online Free Book

The Trespasser

Page 147

'I say there!' he called loudly.

Beatrice stood below in horrible suspense.

'Go in!' she cried. 'Go in! Is he there?' The man stepped very cautiously with one foot on to the balcony, and

peered forward. But the glass door reflected into his eyes. He followed

slowly with the other foot, and crept forward, ready at any moment to

take flight.

'Hie, hie!' he suddenly cried in terror, and he drew back.

Beatrice was opening her mouth to scream, when the window-cleaner

exclaimed weakly, as if dubious: 'I believe 'e's 'anged 'imself from the door-'ooks!' 'No!' cried Beatrice. 'No, no, no!' 'I believe 'e 'as!' repeated the man.

'Go in and see if he's dead!' cried Beatrice.

The man remained in the doorway, peering fixedly.

'I believe he is,' he said doubtfully.

'No--go and see!' screamed Beatrice.

The man went into the room, trembling, hesitating. He approached the

body as if fascinated. Shivering, he took it round the loins and tried

to lift it down. It was too heavy.

'I know!' he said to himself, once more bustling now he had something to

do. He took his clasp-knife from his pocket, jammed the body between

himself and the door so that it should not drop, and began to saw his

way through the leathern strap. It gave. He started, and clutched the

body, dropping his knife. Beatrice, below in the garden, hearing the

scuffle and the clatter, began to scream in hysteria. The man hauled the

body of Siegmund, with much difficulty, on to the bed, and with

trembling fingers tried to unloose the buckle in which the strap ran. It

was bedded in Siegmund's neck. The window-cleaner tugged at it

frantically, till he got it loose. Then he looked at Siegmund. The dead

man lay on the bed with swollen, discoloured face, with his

sleeping-jacket pushed up in a bunch under his armpits, leaving his side

naked. Beatrice was screaming below. The window-cleaner, quite unnerved,

ran from the room and scrambled down the ladder. Siegmund lay heaped on

the bed, his sleeping-suit twisted and bunched up about him, his face

hardly recognizable.

PrevPage ListNext