The Great Temptation, page 118 by Richard Marsh
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e; but according to Tom he didn't seem to have grit enough to murder anyone."
That was a nice sort of thing to say! As I listened I felt that I would give a trifle to have a word or two with Mr. Trouncer.
"I was not aware," I managed to get out, "that not being of a murderous turn of mind was against a man."
"Who said it was? How you do go on! When Tom saw him first, he thought that he was dead, he'd been handled something cruel: his head was twisted right round on his body, so that, as he lay on his stomach, his face was upwards. He was black and blue with bruises and every bone in his body seemed broken as if they'd dragged him round and round the cabin and banged and smashed him against everything they could, to say nothing of kicking him to a jelly."
That was nice sort of talk to have to listen to, without even daring so much as to wipe my eyes. I had to sit down again on the chair.
"Was he--" my voice would break "--was he dead?"
"What's the matter with you? If what I'm saying upsets you, I'd better not go on."
"I think I must be a little out of sorts this morning, that's what it is; and the idea that this should have happened so close to all of us, and no one gone to gone to the poor fellow's assistance is a little upsetting."
"Very nearly, but not quite. The doctor says the chief trouble is concussion of the brain. Whoever did it must have had a grudge against him; they seem to have done everything to him they could. Why he didn't cry out and call for help was because they'd twisted a cord or something round his throat so tight that if they hadn't taken it off just when they did, it would have been a case of strangulation there was a great weal round his neck where the cord had been. He couldn't have uttered a sound while it was on, do to him what they might, and the life was all out of him by the time they took it off."
I tried to speak when she paused, but for a moment it was beyond me; I had to put up my hands to hide what was on my face and