“Can you see—Manley?”
This time he did not answer at all; he seemed terribly far off, as if only his shell of a body remained with her in the room.
“Why don't you talk?” she wailed. She waited until she could endure no more, then reached up and snatched the glasses from his eyes.
“I can't help it—I shall go crazy standing here. I've just got to see!” she panted.
For a moment he clung to the glasses and stared down at her. “You better not, sweetheart,” he urged gently, but when she still held fast he let them go. She raised them hurriedly to her eyes, and turned to the river with a shrinking impatience to know the worst and have it over with.
“E-everything j-joggles so,” she whimpered complainingly, trying vainly to steady the glasses. He slipped his arms around her, and let her lean against him; she did not even seem to realize it. Just then she had caught sight of something, and her intense interest steadied her so that she stood perfectly still.
“Why, your horse—” she gasped. “Michael—he's got his feet straight up in the air—oh, Kent, he's rolling over sad over! I can't see—” She held her breath.
The glasses sagged as if they had grown all at once too heavy to hold. “I—I thought I saw—” She shivered and hid her face upon one upflung arm.
Kent caught up the glasses and looked long at the river, unmindful of the girl sobbing wildly beside him. Finally he turned to her, hesitated, and then gathered her close in his arms. The glasses slid unheeded to the floor.
“Don't cry—it's better this way, though it's hard enough, God knows.” His voice was very gentle. “Think how awful it would have been, Val, if the law had got him. Don't cry like that! Such things are happening every day, somewhere—” He realized suddenly that this was no way to comfort her, and stopped. He patted her shoulder with a sense of blank helplessness. He could make love—but this was not the time for love-making; and since he was denied that outlet for his feelings, he did not know what to do, except that he led her to the couch, and settled her among the cushions so that she would be physically comfortable, at least. He turned restlessly to the window, looked; out, and then went to the couch and bent over her.