Thentheyremainedgrimandsilentwhilethepair，whowerenotreallymuchinjured，pickedthemselvesupwithgroans。
“IamsorrythatIknockedyoudown，sinceIamyoungandyouarenot，“saidGodfrey，“butIrepeatthatyouarealiar，“headdedbyanafterthought。
SirJohnspatoutatooth，andbegantomopthebloodfromhisnosewithasilkpocket-handkerchief。
“Oh!youdo，doyou？“hesaidinasomewhatsubduedvoice。“Well，you’llfindoutthatI’motherthingstoobeforeI’mdonewithyou。
AndIrepeatthatyouarefortune-huntingyoungrascalandthatI
wouldratherseemydaughterdeadthanmarriedtoyou。“
“AndIsay，Godfrey，Iwouldratherseeyoudeadthanmarriedtoher!“
brokeinMr。Knight，spittingouthiswordslikeanangrycat。
“Idon’tthinkthatyouneedbeafraid，Father，“answeredGodfreyquietly，althoughhisrageburnedasfiercelyasever。“Youhaveworkedthisbusinesswell，anditseemsalittleimpossiblenow，doesn’tit？Listen，SirJohnBlake。NotevenforthesakeofIsobelwillIsubmittosuchinsults。Iwillnotgiveherup，butIswearbyGodthatwhileyouarealiveIwillnotmarryIsobel，norwillIwritetoherorspeaktoheragain。Afteryouaredead，whichIdaresaywillbebeforesoverylong，“andhesurveyedthehuge，puffy-fleshedbaronetwithacriticaleye，“then——ifshecarestowaitforme——I
willmarryher，hopingthatinthemeanwhileyoumayloseyourmoneyordisposeofitasyoulike。“
SirJohnstared，stillmoppinghisface，butfindingnowords。Hefeareddeathverymuchandthisprophecyofit，spokenwithsucharingoftruth，asthoughthespeakerknew，frightenedhim。AtthatmomentinhishearthecursedtheReverendMr。Knightandhistale-
bearing，andwishedmostearnestlythathehadneverbeenledintointerferencewiththismatter。AfterallGodfreywasafineyoungmanwhomhisdaughtercaredfor，andmightdowellinlife，andhehadstruckhimfirstafterofferinghimintentionalandpre-arrangedinsult。Suchwerethethoughtsthatflashedthroughhissomewhatmuddledbrain。Alsoanother，thattheyweretoolate。Theevilwasdoneandnevercouldbeundone。
ThenIsobelspokeincold，cleartones，saying：
“Godfreyisquiterightandhasbeenrightallthrough。Hadyou，Father，andthatman，“andshepointedcontemptuouslyatMr。Knight，“leftusaloneweshouldhavecomeandtoldyouwhathadhappenedbetweenus，andifyoudisapprovedwewouldhavewaiteduntilwewereoffullageandhavemarriedasweshouldhavebeenfreetodo。Butnowthatisimpossible，forblowshavepassedbetweenyou。Afterslanderinghimvilely，youstruckGodfreyfirst，Father，andhewouldnothavebeenamanifhehadnotstruckyouback；indeedIshouldhavethoughtlittleofhimafterwards。Well，hehasmadeanoath，andIknowthathewillkeepit。NowI，too，makeanoathwhichcertainlyIshallkeep。Iswearinthepresenceofbothofyou，bymyselfandbyGodfrey，thatneitherinthisworldorinanyother，shouldIliveagainandhaveremembrance，willImarryanymanorexchangetendernesseswithanyman，excepthimself。Soallyourplanscometonothing；yes，youhavebroughtallthismiseryuponusfornothing，andifyouwanttofoundagreatfamily，asIknowyoudo，youhadbettermarryagainyourselfandletmegomyway。Inanycase，ifI
shouldsurviveyouandshouldGodfreylive，Iwillmarryhimafteryourdeath，evenifwehavetowaituntilweareoldtodoso。Astoyourfortune，Icarenothingforit，beingquitereadytoworkintheworldwiththehelpofthelittleIhave。“
Shepausedasthoughforananswer，butnonecame，forifSirJohnhadbeenfrightenedbefore，nowhewasterrifiedofthisoutragedyoungwomanwho，tall，commandingandstern-eyed，lookedtohimlikeanavengingangel。
“Theredoesn’tseemmuchmoretosay，doesthere？“shewenton，“exceptthatIthink，Father，youhadbettertelegraphtoyourgueststhatyouarenotwellandcannotreceivethem，forIwon’t。Sogood-
bye，dearestGodfrey。Ishallrememberallthatyouhavesaid，andyouwillrememberallthatIhavesaid，andasIbelieve，weshalllivetomeetagainoneday。Meanwhile，don’tthinktoobitterlyofmyfather，orofyourown，becausetheyhaveactedaccordingtotheirnaturesandlights，thoughwherethesewillleadthemIamsureIdonotknow。
Good-bye，dearest，dearestGodfrey。Doyourbestintheworldandkeepoutoftroublesifyoucan。Oh!whatalotweshallhavetotelleachotherwhenwemeetagain。“
Thenbeforethembothshekissedhim，andhekissedherback，saying：
“Iwillremember。Iamgladyouthinktherewasnothingelsetobedone。Godblessyou，Isobel。Makethebestofyourlife，asIwilltrytodowithmine。Good-bye。“
“Good-bye，dear，“sheanswered，“thinkofmealwayswhenyouwakeandbeforeyougotosleep，asIwillthinkofyou。“
Thensheturnedandwent，neverlookingbehindher。
GodfreywatchedhertallformvanishthroughthechurchyardgateandovertheslopeofalittlehillthatlaybetweenitandHawk’sHall，andthatwasthelastsighthehadofherformanyayear。Whenshewasquitelosttoview，hespoketothetwomenwhostillstoodirresolutebeforehim。
“IsobelIshallmeetagain，“hesaid，“butnoteitherofyou，forI
havedonewithyouboth。Itisnotformetojudgeyou。Judgeyourselfandbejudged。“
Thenheturned，too，andwent。
“It’sallright，“saidSirJohntoMr。Knight，“thatis，hewon’tmarryher，atanyrateatpresent，soIsupposethatweshouldbothbepleased，ifanyonecanbepleasedwithcutlipsandtwoblackeyes。
Andyetsomehowweseemtohavemadeamessofit，“andheglancedattheshatteredmarblestatueoftheVictorianangelofwhichboththewingswerebrokenoff。
“Wehavedoneourduty，“repliedMr。Knight，pursinguphisthinlips，“andatleastGodfreyisfreedfromyourdaughter。“
“I’mnotsosureofthat，myreverendfriend。ButofonethingIamsure，thatIamfreedfromheralso，orratherthatsheisfreedfromme。Alsoyouarefreedfromhim。Don’tyouunderstand，youviciouslittleviper，thatyouwillneverseethatyoungmanagain，andthatthankstoyourcursedadviceIshallneverseemydaughteragain，atleastnotreally？Whatdevilwasitthatsentyoutoplayuponmyweaknessesandambition？Ifyouhadleftthingsaloneandtheyhadcometomeinanaturalwaytherewouldhavebeenarow，ofcourse，butIdaresayitwouldhaveendedallright。ButyoutoldmehowtoworkonhimandIoverdidthepart。Nownothingcaneverbeallrightforeitherofus，orforthemeither，untilwearebothdead。Doyouunderstandalsothatwehavemadetwoyoungpeoplewhoshouldhavebeenthesupportsofouroldagedesireaboveeverythingourdeathsbecausewehavegiventhemcausetohateus，andsincetheyareofthesortthatkeeptheirword，onlybyourdeathscantheybecomefree，or，atanyrate，bymine？Well，itdoesn’tmatterwhatyouunderstand，youlittlebigot，butIknowwhatIdo。“
“Ihavedonemyduty，“repeatedMr。Knightsullenly，“andIdon’tcarewhathappensafterwards。’/Fiatjustitaruatc？lum/，’“headdedintheLatintag。
“Oh，yes。Justicemaysayfieandtheskymayberude，andanythingelsemayhappen，butwe’vedishedourlivesandtheirs，myfriend，and——damnyou!getoutofmysight。RowsIamaccustomedtowithIsobelandothers，butthisisn’tarow，it’sanearthquake；it’sacatastrophe，forwhichIhavetothankyou。Lord!howmymouthhurts，andIcan’tseeoutofmyrighteye。Talkofamailedfist，thatyoungbeggarhasonelikeapole-axe。NowImustgototelegraphtoallthosepeople。Temporaryindisposition，yes——temporaryindisposition，that’sit。Good-bye，myholyfriend。Youwon’tdoasmuchmischiefinonedayagaininahurry，spyashardasyoulike。“
ThenSirJohndeparted，nursinghiscutlipswithonehandandhisbrokenumbrellawiththeother。
Mr。Knightwatchedhimgo，andsaidtohimself：
“IthoughtthatIdislikedthedaughter，butthefatherisworse。
Offensive，purse-proud，vulgarbeast!Howdarehespeaktomelikethat!I’mglad，yes，I’mgladGodfreyknockedhimdown，thoughI
supposetherewillbeascandal。Well，myhandsareclean；Ihavedonemyduty，andImustnotcomplainifitisunpleasant，sinceIhavedraggedGodfreybackfromthemouthofthepit。IthinkI’lltakeawalktosteadymynerves；itmaybeaswellnottomeetGodfreyagainjustnow。“