This also did not surprise her. She was silent for a moment, and her husband said:—
"Do you want to see him?"
"Yes," she replied finally. "I will see him…. I will go down at once."
She rose and stepped towards the door.
"Isabelle!" Her husband's voice broke. Still standing with one hand on the knob of the door, he took from his pocket with the other a small pistol, and held it towards her on the palm of his hand. "Isabelle," he said, "this was in the river—near where they found him!"
She looked at it calmly. It was that little gold and ivory chased toy which she remembered Tom had used one afternoon to shoot the magnolia blossoms with. She remembered it well. It was broken open, and a cartridge half protruded from the breach.
"I thought you should know," Lane added.
"Yes," Isabelle whispered. "I know. I knew! … But I will go down and see him."
Her husband replaced the pistol in his pocket and opened the door for her.
* * * * *