"He came--you couldn't believe--to beat me!"

"Richard! I don't understand. When?"

"Yesterday". (In reality it was four weeks before.)

"But what about?"

"Revenge! Blind, murderous revenge for turning him neck and crop out of Lagden!"

"You _are_ in a temper! But I can't understand a word of it!"

"Well, that is what I had to tell you. He came to my house--And how good have I been to this man! Didn't I send him the fifty pounds--?"

"Well, that _was_ kind. But I must tell you, Mr. Frankl, that Richard knows nothing of the fifty pounds--"

"Well, then it is _your_ fault! Oh, he did not know of the fifty pounds? Then it is your fault entirely, this rage of his against me--He threatened to shoot me dead--thrice he threatened--soon, he said--"

"Not Richard?"

"Yes, Richard!--your nice Richard! But what did I want you for to-night?

It was to let you see that I have it in my power to let your brother in for three months hard--not less. But you know, my dear, don't you, that I wouldn't do anything to give you pain? That is why, so far, I've taken no steps. But your brother must be unarmed. I can't have my life exposed, after his threats, and all".

"Unarmed...."

"Yes. I have it on good authority that your brother has guns. I must have those guns put into my own hands by you..."

"But I couldn't! He would find out..."

"Then I must act, that's all. Or no--I give you another chance--tell him of the fifty pounds I sent--that may disarm him in another way--"

He was sure that this she would not now do, yet felt relieved when she cried out: "I couldn't! Not now! Can't you see?"

"Well, there is nothing to be done, then. I must act, that's all".

"But don't be _hard_! What can I do? Sooner or later he'd be sure to miss them!"

"Poh! he is not always shooting, I suppose? And after a few weeks I'd give them back. Anyway, think it over: and I'll be here on Tuesday night next at nine to receive them. Good night--"

She looked palely after him, her feet in a net, new to her, woven of concealments and deceit.

At eleven that night she was sitting in their diminutive parlour,--Hogarth at a table inscribing the a.s.sociation's names received by post that evening; and at last, bending low over her sewing, she said: "Richard, is it true you have been to the Hall?"

He started! "Yes. Who told you?"

"I heard it".

He looked at her piercingly. "_Answer!_"

"I heard it", she said with a stubborn nod, quite pallid.

He turned upon her a stare of displeasure; but in that second they heard a shouting down the village, ran to the front, and saw heaven all like cancer and cracked window-panes, for from a central plash of pa.s.sion the shattered asteroid had shot long-lingering ribbons of lilac light over the bowl of the sky.

X

ISAAC

On the Tuesday was the inquest on the murdered Mephibosheth; ending in a verdict of wilful murder against some person unknown.

The same night at nine Frankl had Hogarth's two guns from Margaret on the towing-path, she now well inveigled into his net, and under his commands.

"I want you", he said, "to meet me-here again on Thursday night, at 7.30".

"But you will tell one why, I suppose!"

"When you come you will hear. And don't let anything keep you away--not _anything_, mind--if you take my hint".

She left him with her head hung, praying for deliverance, but consenting.

The next (Wednesday) morning Frankl was in a high room of the Hall, in a corner of which cowered the Arab, Isaac, and he said in his strong ba.s.s in Arabic: "Well, Isaac, well".

A groan broke from the obese heap of grief; down each side of his kefie streamed waves of trembling; on his square-cut beard of ritual flecks of foam.

"Isaac, why did you kill Mephibosheth?"

Vigorously sputtered Isaac, spitting out the ill-omened words. He said: "Your servant did not kill Mephibosheth".

"Well, there was an inquest to-day, the Court decided that you did, and has sentenced you to be hanged by the neck like a dog".

The Arab sprang up, his thick bluish under-lip shivering.

"An eye for an eye", said Frankl solemnly: "it is written in the Torah".

"_Mercy_ My father served your father--"

"I have remembered that: that is why I have saved you from hanging like a dog at the hands of these _Goyim_ vermin: but, Isaac, you must die--"

"G.o.d of--!"

"You dare raise your voice! Blood for blood--"

"_Mercy_!--I did not mean to kill--!"

"Blood for blood, you dog! Raise it, and I fell you! Raise it, and the noose sinks into your fat swine's-throat! Can't you understand?--you have been tracked by the avengers of blood! and you may swing lingeringly, with a crowd of Christian boys and girls mocking round you, or you may shoot yourself in one painless flash. Which shall it be?"

Isaac, again dropping a-heap, covered his face, without answer.