And one of the men was Headland's servant, Dollops! He
recognized that, even as his inner consciousness told him that his
"something" was about to happen now.
"Gad! they've found the body," he exclaimed, in a hoarse, excited voice,
fairly running to the front door and throwing it open with a crash that
rang through the old house from floor to rafters, and brought Borkins
scuttling up the kitchen stairs at a pace that was ill-befitting his age
and dignity. Merriton gave him a curt order.
"Have the morning-room door thrown open and the sofa pulled out from
against the wall. My friends have been for a walk across the Fens, and
have found something. You can see them coming up the drive. What d'you
make of it?"
"Gawd! a haccident, Sir Nigel," said Borkins, in a shaky voice. "'Adn't I
better tell Mrs. Mummery to put the blue bedroom in order and 'ave plenty
of 'ot water?..."
"No." Merriton was running down the front steps and flung the answer back
over his shoulder. "Can't you use your eyes? It's a body, you fool--a
body!"
Borkins gasped a moment, and then stood still, his thin lips sucked in,
his face unpleasant to see.
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