“This is the beginning,” he said—“not the end. If you don’t leave Cross Ways before the week’s out, you never will—not alive.”
“Don’t talk rot like that. I thought you were a good sportsman anyway, but I see you’re not; and that’s the worst you can say against any man. I was going—God’s my judge that I’m telling you the truth—I was going away to-morrow—for a time, at any rate. She wished it. But now—now you threaten me as if you were a murderer, I shan’t move, not an inch. And if there’s any blackguardly attempt on your part to do me an injury, I’ll break your neck, Daccombe; so now you’re warned. Anyway, you have shown that I was right, for any girl would be a madwoman to marry such a lunatic.”
“Talk on, now, if you’ve got the wind to do it,” answered Richard, “but the last word will be mine.”
A black malignity dominated the beaten man after his reverse; and, inasmuch as Jane Stanberry, now at the cross ways of her life, fell from honour and played a base part out of fear, her lover continued to believe that his enemy alone was responsible for Jane’s weakness. He blamed the girl, but his love did not diminish, and he still supposed that Anthony Maybridge once removed, she would return to him with eyes that again saw clearly. He attributed his conqueror’s conduct to a tremendous strength of purpose, whereas mere feebleness and an amorous nature were responsible for it. The woman was at least as guilty as the man; and now an added blame belonged to her, for while Anthony henceforth openly declared himself the rival of Richard, she held the balance a little longer between them—chiefly from fear of Mrs. Daccombe. Her decision was made, yet very carefully she concealed it, and Richard continued in error.
From his mistaken conclusion, and smarting still with venom bred of the wounds Anthony had inflicted, the keeper proceeded to a criminal deed. Such active hatred as he now felt stuck at nothing, and within a fortnight of his reverse came the evil inspiration that he waited for.
A veiled antagonism reigned between the men after their battle; then matters seemed to sink into customary course. Richard absented himself from home more than usual; Anthony abandoned shooting, and took to hunting instead.