Safe in the saddle, with four legs busy under him, he had time to
think, and began to turn over in his mind what he must do. But he
soon saw there was no planning anything till he knew what was the
matter--of which he had dreadful forebodings. His imagination
started and spurred by fear, he thought of many dread possibilities
concerning which he wondered that he had never thought of them
before: if he had he could not have left the castle! What might not
a man in the mental and moral condition of the earl, unrestrained by
law or conscience, risk to secure the property for his son? Might he
not poison her, smother her, kill her somehow, anyhow that was
safest? Then rushed into his mind what the housekeeper had told him
of his cruelty to his wife: a man like that, no longer feeling,
however knowing the difference between right and wrong, hardly
knowing the difference between dreaming a thing and doing the thing,
was no fitter member of a family than any devil in or out of hell!
He would have blamed himself bitterly had he not been sure he was
not following his own will in going away. If there were a better way
it had not been intended he should take it, else it would have been
shown him! But now he would be restrained by no delicacy towards the
earl: whatever his hand found to do he would do, regardless of
appearances! If he could not reach lady Arctura, he would seek the
help of the law, tell what he knew, and get a warrant of search.
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