Похититель трупов
Descendingtothedoor,hewasfilledwithastonishmenttofindMacfarlanewithhisgig,andinthegigoneofthoselongandghastlypackageswithwhichhewassowellacquainted.
‘What?’hecried. ‘Haveyoubeenoutalone? Howdidyoumanage?’
ButMacfarlanesilencedhimroughly,biddinghimturntobusiness. Whentheyhadgotthebodyupstairsandlaiditonthetable,Macfarlanemadeatfirstasifheweregoingaway. Thenhepausedandseemedtohesitate;andthen,‘Youhadbetterlookattheface,’saidhe,intonesofsomeconstraint. ‘Youhadbetter,’herepeated,asFettesonlystaredathiminwonder.
‘Butwhere,andhow,andwhendidyoucomebyit?’criedtheother.
‘Lookattheface,’wastheonlyanswer.
Fetteswasstaggered; strangedoubtsassailedhim. Helookedfromtheyoungdoctortothebody,andthenbackagain. Atlast,withastart,hedidashewasbidden. Hehadalmostexpectedthesightthatmethiseyes,andyettheshockwascruel. Tosee,fixedintherigidityofdeathandnakedonthatcoarselayerofsackcloth,themanwhomhehadleftwellcladandfullofmeatandsinuponthethresholdofatavern,awoke,eveninthethoughtlessFettes,someoftheterrorsoftheconscience. ItwasaCRASTIBIwhichre-echoedinhissoul,thattwowhomhehadknownshouldhavecometolieupontheseicytables. Yetthesewereonlysecondarythoughts. HisfirstconcernregardedWolfe.
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