Thentheyremainedgrimandsilentwhilethepair，whowerenotreallymuchinjured，pickedthemselvesupwithgroans。
　　“IamsorrythatIknockedyoudown，sinceIamyoungandyouarenot，“saidGodfrey，“butIrepeatthatyouarealiar，“headdedbyanafterthought。
　　SirJohnspatoutatooth，andbegantomopthebloodfromhisnosewithasilkpocket-handkerchief。
　　“Oh!youdo，doyou？“hesaidinasomewhatsubduedvoice。“Well，you’llfindoutthatI’motherthingstoobeforeI’mdonewithyou。
　　AndIrepeatthatyouarefortune-huntingyoungrascalandthatI
　　wouldratherseemydaughterdeadthanmarriedtoyou。“
　　“AndIsay，Godfrey，Iwouldratherseeyoudeadthanmarriedtoher!“
　　brokeinMr。Knight，spittingouthiswordslikeanangrycat。
　　“Idon’tthinkthatyouneedbeafraid，Father，“answeredGodfreyquietly，althoughhisrageburnedasfiercelyasever。“Youhaveworkedthisbusinesswell，anditseemsalittleimpossiblenow，doesn’tit？Listen，SirJohnBlake。NotevenforthesakeofIsobelwillIsubmittosuchinsults。Iwillnotgiveherup，butIswearbyGodthatwhileyouarealiveIwillnotmarryIsobel，norwillIwritetoherorspeaktoheragain。Afteryouaredead，whichIdaresaywillbebeforesoverylong，“andhesurveyedthehuge，puffy-fleshedbaronetwithacriticaleye，“then——ifshecarestowaitforme——I
　　willmarryher，hopingthatinthemeanwhileyoumayloseyourmoneyordisposeofitasyoulike。“
　　SirJohnstared，stillmoppinghisface，butfindingnowords。Hefeareddeathverymuchandthisprophecyofit，spokenwithsucharingoftruth，asthoughthespeakerknew，frightenedhim。AtthatmomentinhishearthecursedtheReverendMr。Knightandhistale-
　　bearing，andwishedmostearnestlythathehadneverbeenledintointerferencewiththismatter。AfterallGodfreywasafineyoungmanwhomhisdaughtercaredfor，andmightdowellinlife，andhehadstruckhimfirstafterofferinghimintentionalandpre-arrangedinsult。Suchwerethethoughtsthatflashedthroughhissomewhatmuddledbrain。Alsoanother，thattheyweretoolate。Theevilwasdoneandnevercouldbeundone。
　　ThenIsobelspokeincold，cleartones，saying：
　　“Godfreyisquiterightandhasbeenrightallthrough。Hadyou，Father，andthatman，“andshepointedcontemptuouslyatMr。Knight，“leftusaloneweshouldhavecomeandtoldyouwhathadhappenedbetweenus，andifyoudisapprovedwewouldhavewaiteduntilwewereoffullageandhavemarriedasweshouldhavebeenfreetodo。Butnowthatisimpossible，forblowshavepassedbetweenyou。Afterslanderinghimvilely，youstruckGodfreyfirst，Father，andhewouldnothavebeenamanifhehadnotstruckyouback；indeedIshouldhavethoughtlittleofhimafterwards。Well，hehasmadeanoath，andIknowthathewillkeepit。NowI，too，makeanoathwhichcertainlyIshallkeep。Iswearinthepresenceofbothofyou，bymyselfandbyGodfrey，thatneitherinthisworldorinanyother，shouldIliveagainandhaveremembrance，willImarryanymanorexchangetendernesseswithanyman，excepthimself。Soallyourplanscometonothing；yes，youhavebroughtallthismiseryuponusfornothing，andifyouwanttofoundagreatfamily，asIknowyoudo，youhadbettermarryagainyourselfandletmegomyway。Inanycase，ifI
　　shouldsurviveyouandshouldGodfreylive，Iwillmarryhimafteryourdeath，evenifwehavetowaituntilweareoldtodoso。Astoyourfortune，Icarenothingforit，beingquitereadytoworkintheworldwiththehelpofthelittleIhave。“
　　Shepausedasthoughforananswer，butnonecame，forifSirJohnhadbeenfrightenedbefore，nowhewasterrifiedofthisoutragedyoungwomanwho，tall，commandingandstern-eyed，lookedtohimlikeanavengingangel。
　　“Theredoesn’tseemmuchmoretosay，doesthere？“shewenton，“exceptthatIthink，Father，youhadbettertelegraphtoyourgueststhatyouarenotwellandcannotreceivethem，forIwon’t。Sogood-
　　bye，dearestGodfrey。Ishallrememberallthatyouhavesaid，andyouwillrememberallthatIhavesaid，andasIbelieve，weshalllivetomeetagainoneday。Meanwhile，don’tthinktoobitterlyofmyfather，orofyourown，becausetheyhaveactedaccordingtotheirnaturesandlights，thoughwherethesewillleadthemIamsureIdonotknow。
　　Good-bye，dearest，dearestGodfrey。Doyourbestintheworldandkeepoutoftroublesifyoucan。Oh!whatalotweshallhavetotelleachotherwhenwemeetagain。“
　　Thenbeforethembothshekissedhim，andhekissedherback，saying：
　　“Iwillremember。Iamgladyouthinktherewasnothingelsetobedone。Godblessyou，Isobel。Makethebestofyourlife，asIwilltrytodowithmine。Good-bye。“
　　“Good-bye，dear，“sheanswered，“thinkofmealwayswhenyouwakeandbeforeyougotosleep，asIwillthinkofyou。“
　　Thensheturnedandwent，neverlookingbehindher。
　　GodfreywatchedhertallformvanishthroughthechurchyardgateandovertheslopeofalittlehillthatlaybetweenitandHawk’sHall，andthatwasthelastsighthehadofherformanyayear。Whenshewasquitelosttoview，hespoketothetwomenwhostillstoodirresolutebeforehim。
　　“IsobelIshallmeetagain，“hesaid，“butnoteitherofyou，forI
　　havedonewithyouboth。Itisnotformetojudgeyou。Judgeyourselfandbejudged。“
　　Thenheturned，too，andwent。
　　“It’sallright，“saidSirJohntoMr。Knight，“thatis，hewon’tmarryher，atanyrateatpresent，soIsupposethatweshouldbothbepleased，ifanyonecanbepleasedwithcutlipsandtwoblackeyes。
　　Andyetsomehowweseemtohavemadeamessofit，“andheglancedattheshatteredmarblestatueoftheVictorianangelofwhichboththewingswerebrokenoff。
　　“Wehavedoneourduty，“repliedMr。Knight，pursinguphisthinlips，“andatleastGodfreyisfreedfromyourdaughter。“
　　“I’mnotsosureofthat，myreverendfriend。ButofonethingIamsure，thatIamfreedfromheralso，orratherthatsheisfreedfromme。Alsoyouarefreedfromhim。Don’tyouunderstand，youviciouslittleviper，thatyouwillneverseethatyoungmanagain，andthatthankstoyourcursedadviceIshallneverseemydaughteragain，atleastnotreally？Whatdevilwasitthatsentyoutoplayuponmyweaknessesandambition？Ifyouhadleftthingsaloneandtheyhadcometomeinanaturalwaytherewouldhavebeenarow，ofcourse，butIdaresayitwouldhaveendedallright。ButyoutoldmehowtoworkonhimandIoverdidthepart。Nownothingcaneverbeallrightforeitherofus，orforthemeither，untilwearebothdead。Doyouunderstandalsothatwehavemadetwoyoungpeoplewhoshouldhavebeenthesupportsofouroldagedesireaboveeverythingourdeathsbecausewehavegiventhemcausetohateus，andsincetheyareofthesortthatkeeptheirword，onlybyourdeathscantheybecomefree，or，atanyrate，bymine？Well，itdoesn’tmatterwhatyouunderstand，youlittlebigot，butIknowwhatIdo。“
　　“Ihavedonemyduty，“repeatedMr。Knightsullenly，“andIdon’tcarewhathappensafterwards。’/Fiatjustitaruatc？lum/，’“headdedintheLatintag。
　　“Oh，yes。Justicemaysayfieandtheskymayberude，andanythingelsemayhappen，butwe’vedishedourlivesandtheirs，myfriend，and——damnyou!getoutofmysight。RowsIamaccustomedtowithIsobelandothers，butthisisn’tarow，it’sanearthquake；it’sacatastrophe，forwhichIhavetothankyou。Lord!howmymouthhurts，andIcan’tseeoutofmyrighteye。Talkofamailedfist，thatyoungbeggarhasonelikeapole-axe。NowImustgototelegraphtoallthosepeople。Temporaryindisposition，yes——temporaryindisposition，that’sit。Good-bye，myholyfriend。Youwon’tdoasmuchmischiefinonedayagaininahurry，spyashardasyoulike。“
　　ThenSirJohndeparted，nursinghiscutlipswithonehandandhisbrokenumbrellawiththeother。
　　Mr。Knightwatchedhimgo，andsaidtohimself：
　　“IthoughtthatIdislikedthedaughter，butthefatherisworse。
　　Offensive，purse-proud，vulgarbeast!Howdarehespeaktomelikethat!I’mglad，yes，I’mgladGodfreyknockedhimdown，thoughI
　　supposetherewillbeascandal。Well，myhandsareclean；Ihavedonemyduty，andImustnotcomplainifitisunpleasant，sinceIhavedraggedGodfreybackfromthemouthofthepit。IthinkI’lltakeawalktosteadymynerves；itmaybeaswellnottomeetGodfreyagainjustnow。“