he cannot tell it i am sorry that i cannot believe you said so � and he stretched his hand towards a bell upon the table stop she said for your own sake stop man will a meeting and a parting you really commit this awful tliis useless crime think of the reckoning that must be paid here and hereafter think of me the woman you standing before the judgment seat of god and bearing witness against your naked shivering soul think of him the good and harmless man whom you are about cruelly to butcher crying in the ear of christ look upon de mental vo my pitiless murderer silence shouted yet shrinking back against the wall as though to avoid a sword thrust silence you ill witch with your talk of god and judgment it is too late i tell you it is too late my hands are too red with blood my heart is too black with sin upon the of my mind is written too long a record what more can this one crime matter and � do you understand � i must have money money to buy my pleasures money to make my last years happy and my soft i have suffered enough i have toiled enough and i will win wealth and peace who am now once more a beggar yes had you twenty husbands i would crush the life out of all of them inch by inch to win the gold that i desire as he spoke and the passions in him broke through their crust of cunning and reserve his face changed now watching for some sign of pity knew that hope was dead for his countenance was as it had been on that day si x and twenty years ago when she sat at his side while the great race was there was the same starting the same shining appeared between the lips and above them the now grown grey the high it was as in the fable of the who at a magic sign or word put off their human aspect and become beasts so it had chanced to the spirit of shining through his flesh like some marsh light through the mist it was a thing which god had forgotten a thing that had burst the kindly mould of its and itself in the robe and mask of such a wolf as might about the cliffs of hell only there was fear on the face of the wolf that face which this side of the grave she was yet destined to see once more the fit passed and sank down gasping while even in her woe and agony shuddered at this naked vision of a satan haunted soul i have one more thing to ask she said since my husband must die suffer that i die with him will you refuse this also and cause the cup of your crimes to flow over and the last angel of god s mercy to flee away yes he answered you woman with the evil eye do you suppose that i wish you here to bring all the ills you of upon my head i say that i am afraid of you why for your sake once years ago i made a vow to the blessed virgin that whatever i worked on men i would never again lift a hand against a woman to that oath i look to help me at the last for i have kept it and am keeping it now else by this time both you and the girl might have been stretched upon the rack no get you gone and take your curses with you and he snatched and rang the bell a soldier entered the room saluted and asked his commands take this order he said to the officer in charge of the van it details the method of his execution let it be strictly to and report made to me each morning of the condition of the prisoner stay show this lady from the prison the man saluted again and went out of the door after him followed she spoke no more but as she passed she looked at and he knew well that though she might be gone yet her curse remained behind a meeting and a parting the plague was on her the plague was on her her head and bones were with pain and the swords of sorrow pierced her poor heart but s mind was still clear and her limbs still supported her she reached her home and walked upstairs to the sitting room commanding the servant to find the and bid him join her there in the room was who ran crying is it true is it true it is true daughter that and martin have escaped oh god is good wept the girl and that my husband is a prisoner and condemned to death ah gasped i am selfish it is natural that a woman should think first of the man she loves no do not come near me i fear that i am stricken with the i am not afraid of that answered did i never tell you as a child i had it in the that at least is good news among much that is very ill but be silent here comes to whom i wish to speak nay you need not leave us it is best that you should learn the truth presently entered and watching everything noticed that he looked sadly changed and ill you sent for me mother he began with some attempt at his old air then he caught sight of her face and was silent i have been to the she said and i have news to tell you as you may have heard your brother and our servant martin have escaped i know not whither they escaped out of the very jaws of worse than death out of the torture chamber 