What I most thought of was obtaining from him, now that he was dying,
the full truth as to the deaths of my father and mother.
Jackson remained so long in this state of stupor, I feared that he would
die before I could interrogate him; but this, as it proved, was not to
be the case. I waited another hour, very impatiently I must
acknowledge, and then I went to him and asked him how he felt. He
replied immediately, and without that difficulty which he appeared
before to have experienced.
"I am better now--the inward bleeding has stopped; but still I cannot
live--my side is broken in, I do not think there is a rib that is not
fractured into pieces, and my spine is injured, for I cannot move or
feel my legs; but I may live many hours yet, and I thank God for his
mercy in allowing me so much time--short indeed to make reparation for
so bad a life; but still nothing is impossible with God."
"Well, then," replied I, "if you can speak, I wish you would tell me the
truth relative to my father's death, and also about the death of
others--as for my father, I know that you murdered him--for you said so
last night in your sleep."
After a pause, Jackson replied--"I am glad that I did, and that you have
told me so--I wished to make a full confession even to you; for
confession is a proof of repentance. I know that you must hate me, and
will hate my memory, and I cannot be surprised at it; but look at me
now, Frank, and ask your own heart whether I am not more an object of
pity than of hatred. `Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord!' and has not
his vengeance fallen upon me even in this world? Look at me; here I am,
separated from the world that I loved so much, with no chance of ever
joining it--possessed of wealth which would but a few months ago have
made me happy--now blind, crushed to pieces by an avenging God, in whose
presence I must shortly appear to answer for all my wickedness--all my
expectations overthrown, all my hopes destroyed, and all my accumulated
sins procuring me nothing, but, it may be, eternal condemnation. I ask
you again, am I not an object of pity and commiseration?"