But, at first, the thud of the beautiful pheasants falling to the ground caused her to wince--she, who had looked upon the shattered face of Ladislaus, her husband, with only a quiver of disgust! But these creatures were in the glory of their beauty and the joy of life, and had preyed upon the souls of no one.
Her wonderful face, which interested Colonel Lowerby so, was again abstracted.

Something had brought back that hateful moment to her memory; she could hear Feto, the dancer's shrieks, and see the blood; and she shivered suddenly and clasped her hands.
"Do you mind seeing the birds come down ?" the Crow asked kindly.
"I do not know," she said.

"I was thinking of some other shooting." "Because," the Crow went on, "the women who rage against sport forget one thing,--the birds would not exist at all, if it were not for preserving them for this very reason.

They would gradually be trapped and snared and exterminated; whereas, now they have a royal time, of food and courtship and mating, and they have no knowledge of their coming fate, and so live a life of splendor up to the last moment." "How much better! Yes, indeed, I will never be foolish about them again.
I will think of that." Then she exclaimed, "Oh, that was wonderful!" for Tristram got two rocketters at right and left, and then another with his second gun.

His temper had not affected his eye, it seemed.
"Tristram is one of the best all-round sportsmen I know," the Crow announced, "and he has one of the kindest hearts.