herself. 'Now, now, now, now I see it clearer, clearer—clear now as day! My first dim suspicions pointed right!—too right! Ay—the sewing! it was the sewing!—The shriek!—I saw him gazing rooted at her. He would not speak going home with me. I charged him with his silence; he put me off with lies, lies, lies! Ay, ay, he is married to her, to her;—to her!—perhaps was then. And yet,—and yet,—how can it be?—Lucy, Lucy,—I saw him, after that, look on her as if he would be glad to die for her, and go to hell for her, whither he deserves to go!—Oh! oh! oh! Thus ruthlessly to cut off, at one gross sensual dash, the fair succession of an honourable race! Mixing the choicest wine with filthy water from the plebeian pool, and so turning all to undistinguishable rankness!—Oh viper! had I thee now in me, I would be a suicide and a murderer with one blow!'
A third knock was at the door. She opened it.
'My mistress, I thought it would disturb you,—it is so just overhead,—so I have not removed them yet.'
'Unravel thy gibberish!—what is it?'
'Pardon, my mistress, I somehow thought you knew it, but you cannot.'
'What is that writing crumpling in thy hand? Give it me.'
'I have promised my young master not to, my mistress.'
'I will snatch it, then, and so leave thee blameless.—What? what? what?—He's mad sure!—"Fine old fellow Dates"—what? what?—mad and merry!—chest?—clothes?—trunks?—he wants them?—Tumble them out of his window!—and if he stand right beneath, tumble them out! Dismantle that whole room. Tear up the carpet. I swear, he shall leave no smallest vestige in this house.—Here! this very spot—here, here, where I stand, he may have stood upon;—yes, he tied my shoestring here; it's slippery! Dates!'
