made him what he is! what was he?

gathering, gathering along the narrow street, came a hollow, measuredsound; now forcing itself on their attention. many voices were hushedand low: many steps were heard not moving onwards, at least not withany rapidity or steadiness of motion, but as if circling round one spot.

yes, there was one distinct, slow tramp of feet, which made itself aclear path through the air, and reached their ears; the measured labouredwalk of men carrying a heāvy burden. they were all drawn towards thehouse-door by some irresistible impulse; impelled thither--not by a poorcuriosity, but as if by some solemn blast.

six men walked in the middle of the road, three of them beingpolicemen. they carried a door, taken off its hinges, upon theirshoulders, on which lay some dead human creature; and from each sideof the door there were constant droppings. all the street turned out tosee, and, seeing, to acpany the procession, each one questioning thebearers, who answered almost reluctantly at last, so often had they toldthe tale.

\"we found him i\" th\" brook in the field beyond there.\"

\"th\" brook!--why there\"s not water enough to drown him!\"

\"he was a determined chap. he lay with his face downwards. he wassick enough o\" living, choose what cause he had for it.\"

higgins crept up to margaret\"s side, and said in a weak piping kind ofvoice: \"it\"s not john boucher? he had na spunk enough. sure! it\"s notjohn boucher! why, they are a\" looking this way! listen! i\"ve a singing

in my head, and i cannot hear.\"

they put the door down carefully upon the stones, and all might see thepoor drowned wretch--his glassy eyes, one half-open, staring rightupwards to the sky. owing to the position in which he had been foundlying, his face was swollen and discoloured besides, his skin wasstained by the water in the brook, which had been used for dyeingpurposes. the fore part of his head was bald; but the hair grew thin andlong behind, and every separate lock was a conduit for water. throughall these disfigurements, margaret recognised john boucher. it seemedto her so sacrilegious to be peering into that poor distorted, agonisedface, that, by a flash of instinct, she went forwards and softly coveredthe dead man\"s countenance with her handkerchief. the eyes that sawher do this followed her, as she turned away from her pious office, andwere thus led to the place where nicholas higgins stood, like onerooted to the spot. the men spoke together, and then one of them cameup to higgins, who would hāve fain shrunk back into his house.

\"higgins, thou knowed him! thou mun go tell the wife. do it gently,man, but do it quick, for we canna leāve him here long.\"

\"i canna go,\" said higgins. \"dunnot ask me. i canna face her.\"

\"thou knows her best,\" said the man. \"we\"n done a deal in bringing himhere--thou take thy share.\"

..。

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