"Bless my soul!" said the old gentleman, looking round at the group of people on the pavement. "Has there been a murder? Does anyone know?"
No one cared to admit that he did not know what he was looking at, whereas any positive statement might be controverted by someone with knowledge. So no one answered, but all stood watching.
By this time the pavement was pretty well blocked, and wayfarers had either to take to the roadway or to join the knot of people collected in front of the railings and waiting anxiously upon events.
"'HAS THERE BEEN A MURDER? DOES ANYONE KNOW?' SAID THE OLD GENTLEMAN."
Most of them chose the latter course, assuring each other that there was really nothing to wait for.
"Oh, there's a 'orse down; let's go and look, Alf," said a young woman to her husband, who was carrying something tasty for supper in a piece of newspaper.
"Oh, kem on," said Alf. "You're always wanting to 'ang about for this, that, and the other."
"Well, I'm sure, Alf, it's little enough excitement I get, day in, day out, and—oh, wait a minute; I needn't reely wash biby to-night."
"'Taint a 'orse," said a seedy-looking man, whose height gave him a view over the heads of the crowd. "It's in that house, that's where it is."