"Grace, my wife, my love, how is this--what has happened ?" "I was coming on to you," she said as distinctly as she could in the half-smothered state of her face against his.

"I was trying to be as punctual as possible, and as I had started a minute late I ran along the path very swiftly--fortunately for myself.

Just when I had passed between these trees I felt something clutch at my dress from behind with a noise, and the next moment I was pulled backward by it, and fell to the ground.

I screamed with terror, thinking it was a man lying down there to murder me, but the next moment I discovered it was iron, and that my clothes were caught in a trap.

I pulled this way and that, but the thing would not let go, drag it as I would, and I did not know what to do.