"Oh, this is dreadful--dreadful!" In the final word, the wail
broke to a moan.
Burke felt himself vaguely guilty as the cause of such suffering
on the part of one so young, so fair, so innocent. As a culprit,
he sought his best to afford a measure of soothing for this grief
that had had its source in his performance of duty.
"That's all right, little lady," he urged in a voice as nearly
mellifluous as he could contrive with its mighty volume. "That's
all right. I have to keep on telling you. Nobody's going to
hurt you--not a little bit. Believe me! Why, nobody ever would
want to hurt you!"
But his well-meant attempt to assuage the stricken creature's wo
was futile. The sobbing continued. With it came a plaintive
cry, many times repeated, softly, but very miserably.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"
"Isn't there something else you can tell me about this woman?"
Burke inquired in desperation before the plaintive outburst. He
hoped to distract her from such grief over her predicament.
The girl gave no least heed to the question.
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