'
'And be hanged,' said my mother.
'Perhaps. But after her father's crime has been exposed, the first
thing for me is--to kill!'
'Why, boy, there's murder in your eyes!' said my mother, taken off
her guard.
'Oh, mother, mother, can you not see that no wolf with a stolen lamb
in its mouth was ever more pitilessly shot down by the owner of that
lamb than any hireling wolf of yours would be shot down by me?'
'Boy, are you quite demented?'
'Listen, mother. To prevent Winifred from knowing that her father had
stolen that amulet, and so brought down upon her the curse, I would
have drowned her with myself in the tide. We sat waiting for the tide
to drown us, when the settlement came at the last moment and buried
it away from her. Is it likely that I should hesitate to kill a
clodhopper, or a score, if only to take my vengeance on you and Fate?
The homicide now will be yours.'
She left, giving me a glance of defiance; but before our eyes ended
that conflict, I saw which of us had conquered.
'Hate is strong,' I murmured, as I sank down on my pillow, 'and
destiny is strong; but oh, Winnie, Winnie--stronger than hate, and
stronger than destiny and death, is love.
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