Part 35 (2/2)
”I think you do,” I said. ”You and I have often played on yonder headland, often wrestled there; look again.”
Then he gave a great start, and trembled.
”My G.o.d, it is Roger!” he cried.
”Ah, you remember at last, do you? Yes, it is Roger.”
He seemed to detect something fearful in my voice, for he asked harshly:
”Where do you come from, and why are you here?”
”I am come from silence, and from mystery, as far as you are concerned,” I replied, ”and I am here in the name of righteousness and justice.”
Something in my answer seemed to startle him.
”Alive?” he said, with a gasp.
”Yes, alive,” I said. ”When I left I told you to be careful, or Roger might come to life again. I told you to be kind to the one for whom I sacrificed my all, or the dead would arise. Let your own memory answer the question whether there is cause for me to come back.”
He caught my meaning, and began to stammer.
”But, Roger, I--I have done nothing, and----”
”Stop,” I cried, ”I know all. You know that I was deceived into believing that Ruth loved you, and that I was the hindrance to her happiness. And I know now that it was a lie concocted by my mother and you. I know how you have imposed upon and deceived her. I know that you have tried to frighten her into marrying you, and I know, too, that by keeping her to a promise that her soul abhorred, you have murdered her! I know all this, and now I have come back for revenge.”
”What will you do?”
”I do not know as yet. First of all confess to me this; did not you and my mother deceive both Ruth and me to get me away, so that you might have what was mine?”
”You said you knew, why do you ask?”
”I wish to hear what you say; answer me!”
”Mother put in into my mind, and I thought that--that--you didn't care, so I--I----” he stopped in confusion.
”Coward! to put the fault on your mother. Now another question. Did you villify me to Ruth, did you wear away her life by trying to get her to marry you, even when you knew she loved me?”
”Roger, I wanted her so, and you were gone, and we thought you dead, and our affairs got entangled so----”
”You killed her,” I said savagely. ”But for your accursed cunning and greed she would be alive now.”
”I didn't know, Roger. I knew she didn't like me after--after--you went away, but I didn't think I should----”
”Did you hold her to her promise to the last?”
”Yes--that is, I thought she might get better again and so----”
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