It was out of vanity and
greed that she had married him, because of the position in the world
that he could give her. Having done so, at least she might have
kept faith; she might have been honest, and abided by the bargain.
If she had not done so, it was because honesty was beyond her
shallow nature. He should have seen before what he now saw so
clearly. He should have known her for a lovely, empty husk; a
silly, fluttering butterfly; a toy; a thing of vanities, emotions,
and nothing else.
Thus Sir Terence, cursing the day when he had mated with a fool.
Thus Sir Terence whilst he stood there waiting for the outcry
from Mullins that should proclaim the discovery of the body, and
afford him a pretext for having the house searched for the slayer.
Nor had he long to wait.
"Sir Terence! Sir Terence! For God's sake, Sir Terence!" he
heard the voice of his old servant. Came the loud crash of the
door thrust back until it struck the wall and quick steps along the
passage.
Sir Terence stepped out to meet him.
"Why, what the devil - " he was beginning in his bluff, normal tones,
when the servant, showing a white, scared face, cut him short.
"A terrible thing, Sir Terence! Oh, the saints protect us, a
dreadful thing! This way, sir! There's a man killed - Count Samoval,
I think it is!"
"What? Where?"
"Out yonder, in the quadrangle, sir.
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