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in¡¡the¡¡gloaming¡£¡¨

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or¡¡niches¡¡in¡¡the¡¡room¡£¡¡I¡¡think¡¡you¡¡will¡¡now¡¡be¡¡able¡¡to¡¡understand
the¡¡situation¡¡fully¡£

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¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡What¡¡had¡¡been¡¡could¡¡never¡¡be£º
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toward¡¡the¡¡darkest¡¡corner¡¡of¡¡the¡¡room¡£

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old¡¡gentleman£»¡¡whose¡¡thoughts¡¡he¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡divine£»¡¡hurriedly
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¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡CHAPTER¡¡II

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Silence¡¡is¡¡the¡¡only¡¡tender¡¡Death¡¡can¡¡make¡¡to¡¡Mystery¡£


The¡¡look¡¡of¡¡pain¡¡and¡¡astonishment¡¡upon¡¡my¡¡face¡¡said¡¡plainly¡¡enough
to¡¡Gwen£º

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great¡¡affliction¡¡we¡¡all¡¡stood¡¡silent£»¡¡and¡¡with¡¡bowed¡¡heads¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡had
thought¡¡Darrow's¡¡attack¡¡the¡¡result¡¡of¡¡an¡¡overwrought¡¡mental¡¡condition
which¡¡would¡¡speedily¡¡readjust¡¡itself£»¡¡and¡¡had¡¡so¡¡counted¡¡upon¡¡his
daughter's¡¡influence¡¡as¡¡all¡¡but¡¡certain¡¡to¡¡immediately¡¡result¡¡in¡¡a
temporary¡¡cure¡£¡¡¡¡When£»¡¡therefore£»¡¡I¡¡found¡¡him¡¡dead¡¡without¡¡any
apparent¡¡cause£»¡¡I¡¡was£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡time¡¡being£»¡¡too¡¡dazed¡¡to¡¡think£»¡¡much
less¡¡to¡¡act£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡think¡¡the¡¡other¡¡gentlemen¡¡were¡¡quite¡¡as¡¡much
incapacitated¡¡as¡¡I¡£¡¡¡¡My¡¡first¡¡thought£»¡¡when¡¡I¡¡recovered¡¡so¡¡that¡¡I
could¡¡think£»¡¡was¡¡of¡¡Gwen¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡felt¡¡sure¡¡her¡¡reason¡¡must¡¡give¡¡way¡¡under
the¡¡strain£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡thought¡¡of¡¡going¡¡nearer¡¡to¡¡her¡¡in¡¡case¡¡she¡¡should
fall£»¡¡but¡¡refrained¡¡when¡¡I¡¡noticed¡¡that¡¡Maitland¡¡had¡¡noiselessly
glided¡¡within¡¡easy¡¡reach¡¡of¡¡her¡£¡¡¡¡To¡¡move¡¡seemed¡¡impossible¡¡to¡¡me¡£
Such¡¡a¡¡sudden¡¡transition¡¡from¡¡warm£»¡¡vigorous¡¡life¡¡to¡¡cold£»¡¡impassive
death¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡chill¡¡the¡¡dynamic¡¡rivers¡¡of¡¡being¡¡into¡¡a¡¡horrible
winter£»¡¡static¡¡and¡¡eternal¡£¡¡¡¡Though¡¡death¡¡puts¡¡all¡¡things¡¡in¡¡the
past¡¡tense£»¡¡even¡¡we¡¡physicians¡¡cannot¡¡but¡¡be¡¡strangely¡¡moved¡¡when
the¡¡soul¡¡thus¡¡hastily¡¡deserts¡¡the¡¡body¡¡without¡¡the¡¡usual¡¡farewell¡¡of
an¡¡illness¡£

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¡¡¡­¡¡it¡¡may¡¡not¡¡have¡¡been¡¡more¡¡than¡¡twenty¡¡minutes£»¡¡but¡¡it¡¡seemed£»
under¡¡the¡¡peculiar¡¡circumstances£»¡¡at¡¡least¡¡an¡¡hour£»¡¡¡­¡¡she¡¡remained
perfectly¡¡impassive¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡neither¡¡changed¡¡colour¡¡nor¡¡exhibited¡¡any
other¡¡sign¡¡of¡¡emotion¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡stood¡¡gazing¡¡quietly£»¡¡tenderly£»¡¡at¡¡her
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her¡¡countenance¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡was¡¡no¡¡trace¡¡of¡¡sorrow¡¡in¡¡it£»¡¡only¡¡the¡¡look
of¡¡perplexity¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡decided¡¡to¡¡break¡¡the¡¡gruesome¡¡silence£»¡¡but¡¡the
thought¡¡of¡¡how¡¡my¡¡own¡¡voice¡¡would¡¡sound¡¡in¡¡that¡¡awe¡­inspired
stillness¡¡frightened¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡Gwen¡¡herself¡¡was¡¡the¡¡first¡¡to¡¡speak¡£¡¡¡¡She
looked¡¡up¡¡with¡¡the¡¡same¡¡imp

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