“So brutes revenge themselves on the innocence they have despoiled!”
“It is a lie!” he raged; and, on the word, put a fierce arm about his
_wife_. “Believe it is a lie, thou!”
But she was still struggling to reach me.
“Diana! Not this end to all our love! Not this end to the high hopes
with which we came. It is not ourselves, but Liberty, sister. See, he
will be good; he will not hurt you” (she was groping eagerly for the
knife, which he ended by letting her secure). “I did not know,” she
cried, “I did not guess--until this moment I did not. I will never see
him again, if you wish. I will be no man’s wife to your hurt. Diana!
It is the truth!”