"To tell you, ma'am, that Mr. Crawford fell in the river. I thought you'd like to know that."
"Mr. Crawford fell into the river! You thought I would like to know that! What do you mean?" Hetty was beginning to get confused and a little frightened. There was first of all Crawford's visit, then his account of his horrible dream of her drowning, then his strange, impudent words to her; now came this dreadful-looking man to say that Crawford had fallen into the river, and, last of all, she would be glad to hear he had fallen into the river? "Why do you think I would be glad to hear that Mr. Crawford fell into the river?"
"Well, he lives here, and when people fall into the river the folk they live with are mostly glad to hear of it."
"O," thought the girl, with a feeling of relief at finding that no mysterious net was closing round her, "so you only came to tell me the news?"
"And to tell you more news."
"What is it?"
"That he was got out again."
"Of course."
"But you didn't know until I told you."
"Certainly I did. If he hadn't been taken out you would have said he was drowned."