Presently she heard a sound like the report of a gun, saw the crowd break up in violent confusion, and then cluster together again in a dense mass.
"What could it mean ?" Beatrice wondered.
As the thought crossed her mind, she perceived two men running towards her with all their speed, followed by a woman.

Three minutes more and she saw that the woman was Elizabeth.
The men were passing her now.
"What is it ?" she cried.
"_Murder!_" they answered with one voice, and sped on towards Bryngelly.
Another moment and Elizabeth was at hand, horror written on her pale face.
Beatrice clutched at her.

"_Who_ is it ?" she cried.
"Mr.Bingham," gasped her sister.

"Go and help; he's shot dead!" And she too was gone.
Beatrice's knees loosened, her tongue clave to the roof of her mouth; the solid earth spun round and round.

"Geoffrey killed! Geoffrey killed!" she cried in her heart; but though her ears seemed to hear the sound of them, no words came from her lips.