It came with a cruel burning pain into her head, as if the words "The drop given was fourteen feet" had been scratched on her brain with a hot needle.

"The drop given was fourteen feet." These words affected her physically too.

Her throat became convulsed in waves to resist strangulation; and the apprehension of the jerk was so vivid that she seized her head in both hands as if to save it from being torn off her shoulders.

"The drop given was fourteen feet." No! that must never be.

She could not stand _that_.