When Bramwell saw the man safely out of the canal he turned away, and, having crossed by the stage, entered for the first time Crawford's House--the house of the man who had wrecked his home and his happiness and his life three years before.
CHAPTER XXVI.
[A BRIDGE OF SIGHS.]
When Bramwell entered Crawford's House the first sight that met his eyes was the form of Hetty Layard lying prone on the floor of the passage.
With a cry of dismay he sprang to her and raised her. He looked round for help and called out, but there was no succour in sight; no response came to his cry. He took her up and carried her into the sitting-room, and laid her on the couch.
"I might have guessed she would faint," he moaned; "and now what am I to do?"
There was water on the table laid for dinner. He sprinkled some on her face. "What am I to do? Shall I run for help?" he cried, looking frantically round the room.
At that moment there was the sound of a latch-key in the door. Bramwell rushed out eagerly into the passage, saying to himself, "This must be either her brother or Mr. Crawford; Philip told me there are only two keys."
If instead of going up the river in the steamboat Crawford had come back to Welford, he would have arrived at about this time.
The front door opened, and a man with a remarkably long beard entered, and for an instant stood looking in speechless amazement at the other man.