He sprang to his feet, wrenching the horses backward and aside with
deftness and presence of mind. The margin of safety was not more than a
foot, but the child was saved.
The philosopher of the Manor Cartier seemed to come out of a dream as men
and women applauded, and cries arose of "Bravo, M'sieu' Jean Jacques!"
At any other time this would have made Jean Jacques nod and smile, or
wave a hand, or exclaim in good fellowship. Now, however, his eyes were
full of trouble, and the glassiness of the semi-trance leaving them, they
shifted restlessly here and there. Suddenly they fastened on the little
group of which Judge Carcasson was the centre. He had stopped his horses
almost beside them.
"Ah!" he said, "ah!" as his eyes rested on the Judge. "Ah!" he again
exclaimed, as the glance ran from the Judge to Sebastian Dolores. "Ah,
mercy of God!" he added, in a voice which had both a low note and a high
note-deep misery and shrill protest in one. Then he seemed to choke, and
words would not come, but he kept looking, looking at Sebastian Dolores,
as though fascinated and tortured by the sight of him.
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