“No,” said the man, without turning his head; “how horrible!”
“Oh no,” cried Nic again. “I did not mean it. I was startled. It looks so deep. How do you get down?”
“Step over the edge and fall,” said the man bitterly.
“What?”
“One good step and down you would go, and be out of your misery.”
“Oh, nonsense,” cried Nic. “It’s wonderful. Show me the way to go down.”
“What, go first?”
“Yes.”
The man uttered a strange laugh which made Nic shudder; but he mastered his shrinking and said: “Tell me: which is the proper way down?”
“They say there is no way down.”