Part 33 (1/2)
”I don't know you--I don't know you,” she went on repeating ”Go away
You have no right here”
”Then if you don't know me,lady here,” he said, with unmoved demeanour ”It may interest her to know, and you'llbut a pack of lies--a lot of wretched lies It is all untrue; everything is untrue,” Mrs dickson exclaihter reour to his voice, ”I told you my story once, the story of what made me a lonely man, the story of a lie a woman told to the woman I loved and who loved me That woman--the woman I loved--was your rown harder with every word, his eyes brighter, and his face more pale and set As he spoke the last words there was an energy in voice and manner which seemed to make them almost a blow, and a blow before which the blind woman shrank
”It's a lie!” she muttered ”It's a lie!”
”It _was_ a lie,” he thundered ”It _was_ a lie that ruined one life and nearly blasted another, and no I've found you, after years of longing and waiting, found you as the hter of the woed”
”It's a lie!” she repeated ”My boy is brave; he would wrong no one”
”Where is he now?” Slaughter went on, in a voice that was loud and angry ”Where was he last night?”
”He is out at the fire,” she said ”He is a brave boy and a good boy
Blame me as you like, but you shall not bla the two, fascinated by the development which was as inexplicable to her as it was unexpected, felt a touch of pity as she saw the expression of pride come over the blind woman's face--pride for the absent willy!
”The close cohter said; and Mrs dickson, clasping her hands together, sank into her chair again
”No,” she said, ”no He promised me he would not touch the boy He promised he would not lead hihter cried
The blind wohter deo,” she said in a subdued voice, as she shuddered
”Ask Ailleen She will tell you when It was the day the rail broke”
”Why, that was Tony--Tony Taylor,” Ailleen exclai between the two
Slaughter looked at her wonderingly, and as he looked there came a curious expression into his eyes
”I h he were speaking to himself ”I must have been blind--up to now”
”And willy ith Tony last night?” Ailleen asked
Slaughter started as he heard her voice
”With Tony? No; he ith Barber, the most evil scoundrel, the--the--well, that woain towards Mrs dickson ”The man she married and left for another fool, who----”
”Don't!” the blind woman exclaimed ”Don't speak of him Blame me--blahter laughed in his ain