away from Maw's sickness ez if it was smallpox, and Dad's fun'ral
ez if he was a hoss-thief, and left you and me to watch his coffin
on the marshes all night till the tide kem back. And now you--YOU
that jined hands with me that night over our father lyin' there
cold and despised--ez if he was a dead dog thrown up by the tide--
and swore that ez long ez that tide ebbed and flowed it couldn't
bring you to them, or them to you agin! You now want--what? What?
Why, to go and cast your lot among 'em, and live among 'em, and
join in their God-forsaken holler foolishness, and--and--and"--

"Stop! It's a lie! I DIDN'T say that. Don't you dare to say it!"
said the girl, springing to her feet, and facing her brother in
turn, with flashing eyes.

For a moment the two stared at each other--it might have been as in
a mirror, so perfectly were their passions reflected in each line,
shade, and color of the other's face. It was as if they had each
confronted their own passionate and willful souls, and were
frightened. It had often occurred before, always with the same
invariable ending. The young man's eyes lowered first; the girl's
filled with tears.

"Well, ef ye didn't mean that, what did ye mean?" said Jim,
sinking, with sullen apology, back into his chair.

"I--only--meant it--for--for--revenge!" sobbed Maggie.

"Oh!" said Jim, as if allowing his higher nature to be touched by
this noble instinct. "But I didn't jest see where the revenge kem
in."