. . Oh, for that boat! He must run
in and get his revolver. Couldn't think of trusting himself unarmed with
those Bajow fellows. Get it now while she is away. Oh, for that boat!
. . . He dared not go to the river and hail. He thought: She might hear
me. . . . I'll go and get . . . cartridges . . . then will be all ready
. . . nothing else. No.

And while he stood meditating profoundly before he could make up his
mind to run to the house, Joanna pleaded, holding to his arm--pleaded
despairingly, broken-hearted, hopeless whenever she glanced up at his
face, which to her seemed to wear the aspect of unforgiving
rectitude, of virtuous severity, of merciless justice. And she pleaded
humbly--abashed before him, before the unmoved appearance of the man she
had wronged in defiance of human and divine laws. He heard not a word of
what she said till she raised her voice in a final appeal--

". . . Don't you see I loved you always? They told me horrible things
about you. . . . My own mother! They told me--you have been--you have
been unfaithful to me, and I . . ."

"It's a damned lie!" shouted Willems, waking up for a moment into
righteous indignation.

"I know! I know--Be generous.--Think of my misery since you went
away--Oh! I could have torn my tongue out. . . . I will never believe
anybody--Look at the boy--Be merciful--I could never rest till I found
you. . . . Say--a word--one word. . ."

"What the devil do you want?" exclaimed Willems, looking towards the
river. "Where's that damned boat? Why did you let them go away? You
stupid!"

"Oh, Peter!--I know that in your heart you have forgiven me--You are so
generous--I want to hear you say so. . . . Tell me--do you?"

"Yes! yes!" said Willems, impatiently. "I forgive you. Don't be a fool."

"Don't go away. Don't leave me alone here. Where is the danger? I am so
frightened. . . . Are you alone here? Sure? . . . Let us go away!"

"That's sense," said Willems, still looking anxiously towards the river.

She sobbed gently, leaning on his arm.

"Let me go," he said.

He had seen above the steep bank the heads of three men glide along
smoothly. Then, where the shore shelved down to the landing-place,
appeared a big canoe which came slowly to land.

"Here they are," he went on, briskly. "I must get my revolver."

He made a few hurried paces towards the house, but seemed to catch sight
of something, turned short round and came back to his wife. She stared
at him, alarm