But here I found that I was mistaken in two
important conclusions, the latter of which depended on the former. The
first of these was that it was an instrument: it was only one end of an
instrument; therefore, secondly, there might be room for observation
still. But I found this out by accident, which has had a share in most
discoveries, and which, meaning a something that falls into our hands
unlocked for, is so far an unobjectionable word even to the man who
does not believe in chance. I had for the time given up the question as
insoluble, and was gazing about the place, when, glancing up at the holes
in the ceiling through which the bell-ropes went, I spied two or three
thick wires hanging through the same ceiling close to the wall, and right
over the box with the keys. The vague suspicion of a discovery dawned upon
me.
"Have you got the key of the tower?" I asked.
"No, sir. But I'll run home for it at once," she answered. And rising, she
went out in haste.
"Run!" thought I, looking after her. "It is a word of the will and the
feeling, not of the body." But I was mistaken. The dear old creature had no
sooner got outside of the church-yard, within which, I presume, she felt
that she must be decorous, than she did run, and ran well too.
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