The young man had evidently been drinking; and the suddenness of this encounter seemed for a moment to confuse him; but as he caught sight of the injured doctor, the policeman peering at him with a sternly inquiring look, and the tall, handsome girl, with wild eyes and parted lips, pointing towards the consulting-room door, he threw back his head, gave it a shake as if to clear it, and spoke more clearly.
“Accident?” he said. “Look?”
“Yes, for pity’s sake, look.”
He strode to the consulting-room door, stepped in and was turning to come back, but the policeman was following.
“What is it?” he said. “Here! a light.”
He snatched the lantern from the constable’s hand, and the light fell directly upon the face of the prostrate figure beyond the table.
“Who’s this?” he said, going down on one knee. “Why, constable, what’s up? This man is dead!”
“Yes, sir, I see that.”
“Yes, quite dead. But what does it mean? Has my sister—”
“Seen him? No, sir, I wouldn’t let her come. Now, then, as you’re here, I’ll go for a doctor and some of our men.”