"Keep Hynds House, dear, dear Donna Quixotta," said he, gently. "You
have given me something I needed a thousand times more."
Now, although we had not found the jewels, we had found Jessamine
Hynds, and there remained to be done a thing that called for what
strength of will and courage we possessed. And we had need to make
haste. Already more time had been consumed than we bargained for.
Mr. Jelnik fetched a deep breath, and went over to the Thing in the
chair. There was in his manner neither repugnance nor horror,
nothing but an almost divine compassion. Never, never, had I
respected the courage, the honor, the mercy of man so greatly as I
did then.
It was a ghastly task; I do not like to remember it. In the hot, dry
air of the room without windows she had become, not a bleached
skeleton, but a shriveled, fleshless, blackened mummy. The hair
still clung tightly to the skull, the discolored skin was stretched
over the bony contour of the face; the lips had shriveled away from
the teeth, which showed in a sort of jeering grin. And--well, we had
to tie her hair, like a rope, around her chest and arms; and I tore
the ruffles off my petticoat, to tie her skirts at the knees and
ankles.
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