die on the way to prison. I have followed you to persuade you, if I
can, to leave him to his fate and not urge it on. If ever man was
sorry, or suffered for his crime,--"

"And pray what is that to me, sir?" cried the avenging mother, who,
finding herself entreated, straightway became arrogant. "Will it
give me back my child? The villain took her precious life without
giving her a moment to prepare for eternity, and you ask me--her
mother--to let him go free! I will not. I have vowed vengeance, and
I will have it."

"Allow me to say that if you die in that spirit, you will be far
worse prepared for eternity than I trust your poor daughter was."

"What is that to you? If I choose to run the risk, it is my
business. I tell you it shall not be my fault if the wretch is not
brought to the gallows."

"But he cannot live to reach it. The necessary preliminaries would
waste all that is left of his life. I only ask of you to let him die
in what peace is possible to him. We must forgive our enemies, you
know. But indeed he is no enemy of yours."

"No enemy of mine! The man who murdered my child no enemy of mine! I
am his enemy then, and that he shall find. If I cannot bring him to
the gallows, I can at least make every man and woman in the country
point the finger of scorn and hatred at him. I can bring him and all
his to disgrace and ruin. Their pride indeed! They were far too
grand to visit me, but not to send a murderer into my family. I am
in my rights, and I will have justice. We shall see if they are too