It was evident that her strong emotion had brought to his
mind a conviction of the truth of her words which could not have been
conveyed by the words alone. So they stood there, he and she, in all the
rugged power of physical strength, confronted with their life's problem.
At last, after they had been silent a long time, and it seemed that he
had said many things, and that she had answered him, he appeared
suddenly to sum up his thoughts to their conclusion, and stretched out
both his strong arms to take her and all her griefs into his heart. It
seemed in the darkness as though he did clasp her and did not, for she
gave a low terrible cry and fled from him--a cry such as a spirit might
give who, having ascended to Heaven's gate with toil and prayer, falls
backward into Hell; and she ran from him--it seemed that with only her
human strength she could not have fled so fast. He followed her, dashing
with all his strength into the darkness. They went towards the village,
and in the mud their footfalls were almost silent.
The listener came out of his hiding and went back on the road by which
he had come.
CHAPTER III
Next morning Skelton travelled northward to Yarm. After some difficulty
he succeeded in discovering the paralytic whom he sought. The medical
interest which had at first been aroused by the case appeared to have
died away; and it was only after some time spent in interviewing
officials that he at last found the man, Daniel McGair.
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