his eyes, which he shielded
with his hand, while he placed a chair between us; and, truth to say,
there was murder in my heart, and in my eyes as well, I suppose, even if
the mistrust went no further.

I could have obliterated him from the face of the earth at that moment
as remorselessly as if he had been a viper in my path striking to sting
me. Yet I advanced toward him with no demonstration or intentions of
this kind, having the habits of lady-like breeding and usual innocence
of weapons, and ignorance of the use thereof as well, to restrain me.

I forget. Close to my heart lay one of the sharp, shining chisels I had
taken from the glazier in the bath-room.

"What is it you object to, Miriam?" he asked, in faltering tones, as his
hand fell and his glimmering eyes encountered mine.

From that day I have believed the legend which tells that, when the
Roman, helpless in his dungeon, thundered forth, "Slave! darest thou
kill Caius Marius?" the armed minion of murder turned and fled, dropping
the knife he held, in his panic, at the feet of the man he came to slay.
Almost such effect was for a time observable in Basil Bainrothe.

It made me smile bitterly. "All, every thing," I answered. "The whole
requisition, from first to last, is base, dastardly--crime-confessing,
too--if seen with discriminating eyes. Why, if innocent of fraud toward
me and mine, should you ask a formal acknowledgment on my part as to
your just administration of my affairs, and a recantation of all I have
said to the contrary, both with regard to yourself and Evelyn Erle?
Such are the contents of this first paper, the only one that I could,
under any possible circumstances, be induced to sign as a compromise
with your villainy; for, not to gain my own life or liberty, will I ever
put hand to the others, infamous as they are on the very surface."

"Miriam, this violence surprises me, is wholly unlooked for, and
unnecessary," he remarked, mildly. "From what Mrs. Clayton has told me,
I had supposed that my disinterested care and assiduity with regard to
your condition were about to meet their reward in your rational
submission to the necessities of your case and mine. Resume your seat, I
entreat you, and let us calmly discuss a matter that seems to agitate
you so unduly. Perhaps I may be able to place it before you in a better
light ere we have concluded our interview. You will sit down again,
Miriam, will you not?"

"Oh, surely, if you are alarme