Part 60 (2/2)

”Why, you don't expect her to come here, do you, now that she's run away with Brunswick,” said Meg.

”Why, no; but if she knew what was good for her she would do a little better by us than she does. It would be a fine thing for her, wouldn't it, if we told her husband the whole story,” said Crisp.

”That's just what I'm going to do,” said Meg, savagely. ”I've promised to go when the lawyer sends for me and tell him all I know about his wife. I suppose he would give his eyes to find her--the hypocrite that she is.”

”I hain't forgot the bullet in my arm,” said Crisp, grinding his teeth together.

”Nor I, and if I get good pay I mean to tell the whole story.”

”Good! Let the lawyer know what a devil she is, anyway,” said Crisp.

”I wonder if she told the truth about Zula?”

”I s'pose she did, but if she don't do anything for us it don't make any difference whether Zula is dead or not.”

”No, but I'll let her know how I pay her for her meanness. What would she have been”--and old Meg rose to her feet, trembling with rage--”tell me what would she have been if it had not been for Meg's cunning? Ah, ha! I'll teach her, and I'll show her that old Meg's revenge ends only at the grave. They promised me gold when I agreed to do all their devilish work for them, and they have failed, but old Meg's oath still lives.”

”Well, what do you mean to do?” Crisp asked.

”I mean first to get what I can from that lawyer. He has promised to give me a good sum if I tell him the whole story. He wants to find his wife, I suppose, but I want to tell him just where she sprung from, and when he finds her and she goes back, if she ever does, she'll know that old Meg didn't break her oath. She knows that I swore to get even with John, if he didn't live up to his promise, and, Crisp, I mean to do it if I die. He can't be a fine gentleman, with the money that I got for him, if he don't give me my share. He will find that the old gypsy can put a curse on him that will last a lifetime.”

Old Meg lit her pipe and placing one hand under her chin she formed about as disgusting a picture as one could imagine.

”Crisp,” she said, while her face took on a still more intense look of hatred, ”I could kill that jade, to think that she can be a lady through my managing and me a beggar. I hate her, and I could grind her to powder.”

”Hate her,” said Crisp, ”don't I hate her, the sneak that she is?

Hain't I got reason to hate her for setting the trap that she set for me, that night? Who but a devil like her would have got me in such a place? She laid the plot to get me to come there, and then got some one to shoot me like a dog. But I'll have revenge.”

”Yes, yes, we'll beat her yet, if we follow her to her grave, you remember that. I'd like to be a mouse and see how she looks when she comes back to that rich man of hers, and he tells her what she used to be before he married her. I'll fix it so that he'll never give her a home if she does come back.”

”Oh, he'll never want her to come back after I have told him my story, too,” said Crisp.

”Well, well, old Meg will make sure. I'll set the trap this time and if anybody gets shot it'll be her. Zula's got her pay for her deviltry and Rene shall get hers. I never could see how Zu got away so sleek. I believe she was a witch, anyway, but she's dead and died crazy, so Rene says, and I am glad of it. She'll never bother us again.”

”No, that she won't,” said Crisp, ”and if she ain't dead, she'll never show her head around here again.”

A knock was heard at the door.

”Come in,” said Crisp, in a loud voice.

Scott Wilmer and Mr. Le Moyne entered.

”This is a friend of mine,” said Scott. ”I invited him to come in with me as I was pa.s.sing.”

”Take some chairs,” said Meg, still keeping her seat and smoking vigorously.

”Meg,” said Scott, ”I have not long to stay, so you will excuse me if I proceed immediately to business. You promised to tell me what you knew concerning my wife.”

<script>