"The whole town says that if you speak against him in court, the
punishment will be heavier."

"And you want me not to speak?"

"That's it."

"It seems to me to be asking too much. I shall do no more than insist
that they punish him justly."

"There is no way to get out of it?"

"None."

"If you wanted to... I would wait on you on my knees afterwards, I
would make any sacrifice for you."

"Are you so fond of the man?"

"The Cub-Slut" answered in the negative, by an energetic movement of her
head.

"Well, then, what do you expect to get out of him?"

"I expect revenge."

"The Cub-Slut's" eyes flashed.

"Is what they say about you true?" asked Caesar.

"Yes."

"The dead boy was the son of the man that sold you?"

"Yes."

"But to revenge oneself on the son for the sin of the father is
horrible."

"The son was just as wicked as the father."

"So that you ordered him killed?"

"Yes, I did."

"And you come and tell that to me, when I am to be the private
attorney." "Have them arrest me. I don't care."

"The Cub-Slut" stood firm before Caesar, provocative, with flashing
eyes, in an attitude of challenge.

"You hated that dead boy so much as this?"

"Yes, him and all his family."

"I can understand that if the father were alive, you might..."

"If he were alive! I would give my life to drag him out of his tomb, so
as to make him suffer as much as he made me suffer."

Caesar vaguely remembered the story he had heard about this woman, whose
adopted father had ruined her and then left her in a disreputable house
in the Capital. In general, the most absolute lack of apprehension
characterizes such village tragedies, and neither does the victim know
she is a victim, nor the villain that he is a villain.

But in this case, judging by what "The Cub-Slut" was telling him, it
had not been so; "Gaffer" had gone about it with a certain depravity,
glutting his desires on her, and then selling her, putting her into an
infamous house. The villain had been cruel and intelligent; the victim
had realized that she was one, to the degree that her soul was filled
with desires for vengeance.

"That man," "The Cub-Slut" ended, sobbing, "took away my name and gave
me a nickname; took away my honour, my life, everything; and if I
cannot be revenged on him because he is dead, I will be revenged on his
family."

Caesar listened attentively to the woman's explanation, without
interrupting her. Then, when she ha