And while he stood meditating profoundly before he could make up his mind to run to the house, Joanna pleaded, holding to his arm--pleaded despairingly, broken-hearted, hopeless whenever she glanced up at his face, which to her seemed to wear the aspect of unforgiving rectitude, of virtuous severity, of merciless justice. And she pleaded humbly--abashed before him, before the unmoved appearance of the man she had wronged in defiance of human and divine laws. He heard not a word of what she said till she raised her voice in a final appeal--
“. . . Don’t you see I loved you always? They told me horrible things about you. . . . My own mother! They told me--you have been--you have been unfaithful to me, and I . . .”
“It’s a damned lie!” shouted Willems, waking up for a moment into righteous indignation.
“I know! I know--Be generous.--Think of my misery since you went away--Oh! I could have torn my tongue out. . . . I will never believe anybody--Look at the boy--Be merciful--I could never rest till I found you. . . . Say--a word--one word. . .”
“What the devil do you want?” exclaimed Willems, looking towards the river. “Where’s that damned boat? Why did you let them go away? You stupid!”
“Oh, Peter!--I know that in your heart you have forgiven me--You are so generous--I want to hear you say so. . . . Tell me--do you?”
“Yes! yes!” said Willems, impatiently. “I forgive you. Don’t be a fool.”
“Don’t go away. Don’t leave me alone here. Where is the danger? I am so frightened. . . . Are you alone here? Sure? . . . Let us go away!”
“That’s sense,” said Willems, still looking anxiously towards the river.
He had seen above the steep bank the heads of three men glide along smoothly. Then, where the shore shelved down to the landing-place, appeared a big canoe which came slowly to land.
“Here they are,” he went on, briskly. “I must get my revolver.”
He made a few hurried paces towards the house, but seemed to catch sight of something, turned short round and came back to his wife. She stared at him, alarmed by the sudden change in his face. He appeared much discomposed. He stammered a little as he began to speak.
“Take the child. Walk down to the boat and tell them to drop it out of sight, quick, behind the bushes. Do you hear? Quick! I will come to you there directly. Hurry up!”