every few minutes, and, at last,
he muttered, "Captain James. Well, what of Captain James, eh?"

A thought struck me that he might reply to a question.

"How did he die?" said I, in a low clear voice.

"Die?" replied Jackson, "he fell down the cliff. Yes, he did. You
can't say I killed him. No--never put my finger on him."

After that he was silent for some time, and then he recommenced.

"She always said that I destroyed them both, but I did not--only one--
yes, one, I grant--but I hated him--no, not for his diamonds--no, no--if
you said his wife indeed--love and hate."

"Then you killed him for love of his wife, and hate of himself?"

"Yes, I did. Who are you that have guessed that? Who are you? I'll
have your life."

As he said this, he started up in his bed-place, awakened by his dream,
and probably by my voice, which he had replied to.

"Who spoke?" said he. "Frank Henniker, did you speak?"

I made no reply, but pretended to be sound asleep, as he still sat up,
as if watching me. I feigned a snore.

"It could not have been him," muttered Jackson, "he's quite fast.
Mercy, what a dream!"

He then sank down in his bed-place, and I heard the gurgling noise which
told me that he had put the bottle of liquor to his mouth, and was
drinking out of it. From the time that the gurgling lasted, he must
have taken a great deal. At last, all was quiet again.

"So I have discovered it at last," said I, as my blood boiled at what I
had heard. "He did murder my father. Shall I kill him while he
sleeps?" was the first thought that came into my troubled mind. "No, I
won't do that. What then, shall I tax him with it when he is awake, and
then kill him?" but I thought, that, as he was blind, and unable to
defend himself, it would be cowardly, and I could not do that. What
then was I to do? And as I cooled down, I thought of the words of the
Bible, that we were to return good for evil; for Jackson, of whom, when
I read it, I asked why we were told to do so, had explained it to me,
and afterwards when I came to the part which said, "Vengeance is mine,
saith the Lord," he had told me that there was punishment for the wicked
hereafter, and that was the reason why we were not to obey the Jewish
law of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," which I had
referred to. This portion of the Bible he had well explained, and
certain it is that it prevented my raising my hand against him that
night. Still, I r