The afflicted lady soon dried her tears, and went on as follows:

"You are thinking of a deed which one might possibly succeed in
reconciling with reason, and in making amends for; but the crime of which
that brute has been guilty I dare scarcely imagine, as it is almost
enough to drive me mad."

"Good heavens! you can't mean it? This is dreadful; do I hear you
aright?"

"Yes. You are moved, I see, but such are the circumstances of the case.
Pardon my tears, which flow from anger and the shame with which I am
covered."

"Yes, and from outraged religion, too."

"Certainly, certainly. That is the chief source of my grief, and I should
have mentioned it if I had not feared you were not so strongly attached
to religion as myself."

"Nobody, God be praised! could be more strongly attached to religion than
I, and nothing can ever unloose the ties which bind me to it:"

"You will be grieved, then, to hear that I am destined to suffer eternal
punishment, for I must and will be avenged."

"Not so, madam, perish the thought, as I could not become your accomplice
in such a design, and if you will not abandon it at least say nothing to
me on the subject. I will promise you to tell him nothing, although as he