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Page 68
Ronayne, however, from a fear of exciting unpleasant
recollections in those who were not ignorant of the former
position of the dog, had endeavoured as much as possible,
to prevent him from crossing the river during his visits
to the cottage; but, within the last four or five days,
Loup Garou would not thus be kept back, and when expelled
from the boat, had swam across, taking up his station at
the gate, beyond which, however, he did not presume to
pass, as if sensible that the delicate parterres within,
were interdicted ground, and there generally lay squatted
with his nose resting on the grass, between his outstretched
fore-paws, until his master came forth on his return home.
The unexpected and encouraging whistle of the latter on
this occasion, which had been given in pure unconsciousness,
caused him to prick his ears, and uttering a sharp cry,
he sprang over the gate, bounding rapidly towards the
eminence on which his master stood. About half-way between
its base and the summit, there was a beautiful rose-bush
which had been planted by Ronayne, and from which he had
plucked two flowers, for the mother and daughter, during
the ascent, and presented with a hand that was observed
by Maria Heywood to tremble, and a cheek unwontedly pale.
On arriving opposite the rose-tree, the animal suddenly
stopped, and putting his nose to the ground close under
it, and sniffing almost furiously, uttered a prolonged
and melancholy howl, while, with his fore-paws he began
to scratch up the loose earth around, regardless of the
voice of his master, who renewed his whistling, and called
upon him almost angrily to desist.
Alarmed at this perseverance of action, the ensign
descended to the spot--laid hands on Loup Garou, and
sought to remove him, but the animal, strong of neck--
full in the chest--and on the present occasion, under
the influence of furious impulse, was not to be restrained.
The moaning of the dog--the descent-the corrective voice
of his master, and the seeming struggle of both to attain
opposite purposes, naturally attracted the attention of
those above, and they both rose and neared to the doorway
Ronayne had so recently quitted. Their horror may well
be imagined when, on looking down, they found that the
dog had already uncovered a human body, which, though
disfigured and partially decomposed, filial and conjugal
affection too clearly distinguished as the father of the
one, the husband of the other!
Uttering a feeble shriek, Mrs. Heywood fell insensible
within the threshold of the summer-house, while her
daughter, less overwhelmed, but with feelings impossible
to describe, stooped and chafed her mother's temples,
and notwithstanding a horrid thought, which, despite her
own will, shot through her mind, that the man to whom
she had given every affection of her heart, was in some
degree connected with this horrid spectacle, she called
vehemently to him for assistance.
The situation of the perplexed officer was scarcely less
painful. On the one hand, feeling all the necessity of
retaining his grasp of Loup Garou, as the only means of
preventing him from further uncovering of the body--on
the other, urged by the summons of her, whom he knew,
from her very manner, to be in possession of this fearful
secret, his mind become a perfect chaos, and large drops
of perspiration streamed from his brow. In this irritating
dilemma, a sudden transport of rage took possession of
his heart, and seizing Loup Garou with both his hands,
he so compressed them around his throat, that the dog,
already exhausted with his exertions, was half-strangled
before being raised with a frantic effort, and dashed
with violence upon the body he had so unhappily been
instrumental in discovering.
Scarcely had this been done--a low moaning from Loup
Garou, as if reproaching him for the act, alone denoting
that he breathed, when the ensign flew up the steps of
the summer-house, and regardless of the involuntary
half-shudder of his betrothed, as he approached, caught
the insensible invalid in his arms, and so carrying her,
that her eyes, if she should open them, could not encounter
the horrid spectacle below, again rapidly descended, and
hurried towards the house. Maria Heywood, on passing the
rose-tree so recently prized, but now so abhorrent to
her sight, could not resist a strong impulse to look upon
the mysteries so strangely unveiled, but although the
twilight had not yet passed away, nothing could be seen
but the displaced earth, and stretched over the excavation
he himself had made, the motionless body of the dog.
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