they had a thousand times better ground for suspecting me than I
had for suspecting you.

"All that happened was my fault. Martha cared for me once, but it
was my cursed jealousy that drove her from me. She was gay and
light hearted, and it was natural for her to take her pleasure,
which was harmless enough if I had not made a grievance of it. If I
had not driven her from me she would have been my wife long before
harm came to her; but it was as well that it was not so, for as I
was then I know I should have made her life a hell.

"I did it all and I have been punished for it. Even at the end she
might never have gone off if I had not shouted out and tried to
climb the wall. She must have recognised my voice, and, knowing
that I had her secret, feared that I might kill her and him too,
and so she went. She would not have gone as she did, without even a
bonnet or a shawl, if it had not been for that."

"Then you don't think, as most people there do, that she was
murdered?"

"Not a bit, sir. I never thought so for a moment. She went straight
away with that man. I think now I know who it was."

"Never mind about that, Lechmere. You know what the Bible says,
'Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord,' and whoever it may be, leave
him safely in God's hands."

"Yes, sir, I shall try to act up to that. I was fool enough to
think that I could avenge her, and a nice business I made of it."