Foster bent over the body, and carefully examined it.

“You have wounded the poor thing’s breast,” said he to Hollingsworth, “close by her heart, too!”

“Ha!” cried Hollingsworth with a start.

And so he had, indeed, both before and after death!

“See!” said Foster. “That’s the place where the iron struck her. It looks cruelly, but she never felt it!”

He endeavored to arrange the arms of the corpse decently by its side.

His utmost strength, however, scarcely sufficed to bring them down; and rising again, the next instant, they bade him defiance, exactly as before. He made another effort, with the same result.