'Twas a deep,
sandy-bottomed reach, with the bank dipping in steeply o' one side and a
shelving, pebbly ridge the other. The river narrowed at the bottom of the
pool and fell over a fall. So there I went, and looked through the ivy
unseen and watched my gentleman along the river-path.
He came, and the light of the moon shone on him between two trees, so that
I could mark who 'twas; and then I seed the man of all others in the world
I'd least have counted to see. For there, if you please, went young Mister
Cranston Champernowne, the nephew of the dead man, and thought to be heir
to Woodcotes! For Squire never married, but he had a good few nephews, and
two was his special favourites: this one and his brother, young Lawrence
Champernowne. They were the sons of General Sir Arthur Champernowne, a
famous fighter who'd got the Victoria Cross in India, and carried half the
alphabet after his name.
Well, there stood the young youth, and even in the owl-light I could see
he was a bit troubled of spirit. He looked about him, moved nervously, and
then fetched something out of his pocket. 'Twas black and shining, and I
felt pretty sure 'twas a bottle; but I only had time to catch one glimpse
of it, for he lifted his arm and flung it in the pool. It flashed and was
gone, and then, before the moony circles on the water had got to the bank,
the man was off.
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