She shall never be forgiven--never, never. You can never
cheat me out of _her_, for I know her."
Abbie pressed both hands to her head.
"You had better hold your tongue, old woman," Bressant said, in a low
voice, and a deadlier passion than anger looked from his eyes as he
fastened them upon her. "You're so hungry to send a soul to hell, take
care you don't find yourself there. Do you think your past life can save
you? Wait till I've told you what it has been. You began by blasting a
true man's life, trusting too easily, against all internal evidence, to
the lies that were told you about him. Next, you married the liar, not
loving him, but so that the other might hear it, and believe you had
forgotten him; so you acted a lie to him, and prostituted yourself
bodily and spiritually to gratify your pride and revenge. Not the sort
of thing that gets people to heaven, so far, is it?"
Abbie still pressed her hands to her head, and stared before her without
speaking.
"You were false to your marriage vows; after that, you neglected your
husband no less than he you; you never tried to make yourself lovable to
him; you were the only wronged one! you could do no wrong yourself! At
last you had a son."
She raised her eyes, which, during the last few minutes had become
bloodshot, and fixed them fearfully upon the young man's face, as he
continued:
"You loved him, as most females do love their young, and yet not so
generously as most.
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