'But mine, Richard,' she said, 'but mine is deserved.' 'The hearing is pertinent,' said Richard.

'As a son and man affianced it touches me pretty close.' Out of the hot and desperate struggle for breath, sounds came from her, but no words.

But she ran forward blindly, and kneeling, caught him by the knees; he could not but find pity in his heart for the witless poor wretch, who seemed to be fighting, not with regret nor for need of his pity, but with some maggot in the brain which drove her deeper into the fiery centre of the storm.

Richard did what he could.

A religious man himself, he pointed her to the Christ on the wall; but she waved it out of sight, shook her wild hair back, and clung to him still, asking some unguessed mercy with her eyes and sobbing breath.