It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a few halloa, took to my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where there was already quite a group about the screaming child. He was perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running. The people who had turned out were the girl’s own family; and pretty soon, the doctor, for whom she had been sent, put in his appearance. Well, the child was not much the worse, more frightened, according to the sawbones; and there you might have supposed would be an end to it. But there was one curious circumstance.
聞くだけなら何でもないが、見るのは地獄のようだった。人間というより、まるで呪われたジャガーノートのようなものだった。私は叫び声をあげ、逃げ出し、紳士を捕まえて引き戻すと、すでに叫び声をあげている子供の周りにかなりの人だかりができていた。彼は全く冷静で抵抗しなくて、ただ一瞥をくれたが、その醜悪な目つきに私は汗が噴き出すほどだった。駆けつけたのは少女の家族たちだった。やがて、呼び出されていた医者も姿を現した。医者の話では、子供はそれほど重傷ではなく、ただ怖がっているだけらしい。これで一件落着かと思われた。だが、一つ奇妙な事情があった。