"One thing, however, was evident, that your mother had an aversion--I
may say a horror--of me, which she could not conceal. She said nothing,
but she never could look at me; and to any question I put, would seldom
make reply. Strange to say, this treatment of hers produced quite a
different effect from what might have been anticipated, and I felt my
former love for her revive. Her shrinking from me made me more familiar
towards her, and increased her disgust. I assumed a jocose air with
her, and at times Captain James considered it his duty to interfere and
check me. He was a very powerful man, and in a contest would have
proved my master; this I knew, and this knowledge compelled me to be
more respectful to your mother in his presence, but when his back was
turned I became so disgustingly familiar, that at last your mother
requested that whether fishing or collecting wood, instead of going out
by turns we should both go, and leave her alone. This I could not well
refuse, as Captain James would in all probability have used force if I
had not consented, but my hatred to him was in consequence most
unbounded. However, an event took place which relieved me from the
subjection which I was under, and left me alone with you and your
mother. Now I must rest a little. Wait another hour, and you shall
know the rest."
It was now late in the evening, but there was a bright moon which shone
overhead, and the broad light and shadow made the rocks around us appear
peculiarly wild and rugged. They towered up one above the other till
they met the dark blue of the sky, in which the stars twinkled but
faintly, while the moon sailed through the ether, without a cloud to
obscure her radiance. And in this majestic scenery were found but two
living beings--a poor boy and a mangled wretch--a murderer--soon to
breathe his last, and be summoned before an offended God. As I remained
motionless by his side, I felt, as I looked up, a sensation of awe, but
not of fear; I thought to myself--"And God made all this and all the
world besides, and me and him. The Bible said so;" and my speculation
then was as to what God must be, for although I had read the Bible, I
had but a confused idea, and had it been asked me, as it was to the man
in the chariot by Philip, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" I
most certainly should have answered, No. I remained for nearly two
hours in this reverie, and at last fell asleep with my back against the
rock. I was, however, wakened up by Jackson's voice, when he asked in a
low tone for water.
"There it is," said I, handing it to him. "Have you called long?"
"No," replied he, "I asked but once."
"I have been asleep," said I.
As soon as he had drunk, he said--"I will finish now; my side begins to
burn." He then proceeded--"It was about four months after your father's
death, that Captain James and I went together to the ravine to collect
firewood. We passed under the wall of rock, which you know so well, and
went through the gap, as we call it, when Captain James left the
water-course and walked along the edge of the wall. I followed him: we
both of us had our pieces of rope in our hands with which we tied the
faggots. Of a sudden his foot slipped, and he rolled down to the edge
of the rock, but catching hold of a small bush which had fixed its roots
in the rocks, he saved himself when his body was hanging half over the
precipice.
"`Give me the end of your rope,' said he to me, perfectly collected,
although in such danger.
"`Yes,' replied I, and I intended so to do, as I perceived that, if I
refused, he could still have saved himself by the bush to which he
clung.
"But the bush began to loosen and give way, and Captain James perceiving
it cried out--
"`Quick, quick, the bush is giving way!'
"This assertion of his determined me not to give him the rope. I
pretended to be in a great hurry to do so, but entangled it about my
legs, and then appeared occupied in clearing it, when he cried again--
"`Quick!'--and hardly had he said the word when the root of the bush
snapped, and down he fell below.
"I heard the crash as he came to the rock beneath. See the judgment of
God--am I not now precisely in his position, lying battered and crushed
as he was? After a time I went down to where he lay, and found him
expiring. He had just strength to say `God forgive you,' and then he
died. It was murder, for I could have saved him and would not, and yet
he prayed to God to forgive me. How much happier should I have felt if
he had not said that. His `God forgive you' rang in my ears for months
afterwards. I returned to the cabin, and with a bold air stated to your
mother what had happened, for I felt I could say, this time, I did not
do the deed. She burst out into frantic exclamations, accusing me of
being not only his murderer but the murderer of her husband. I tried
all I could do to appease her, but in vain. For many weeks she was in a
state of melancholy and despondency, that made me fear for her life; but
she had you still to bestow her affections upon, and for your sake she
lived. I soon made this discovery. She was now wholly in my power, but
I was awed by her looks even, for a time. At last I became bolder, and
spoke to her of our becoming man and wife; she turned from me with
abhorrence. I then resorted to other means. I prevented her from
obtaining food; she would have starved with pleasure, but she could not
bear to see you suffer. I will not detail my cruelty and barbarity
towards her; suffice to say it was such that she pined away, and about
six months after the death of the captain she died, exhorting me not to
injure you, but if ever I had an opportunity, to take you to your
grandfather. I could not refuse this demand, made by a woman whom I as
certainly killed by slow means as I had your father by a more sudden
death. I buried her in the guano, by the side of the others. After her
death my life was a torture to me for a long while. I dared not kill
you, but I hated you. I had only one consolation, one hope, which
occasionally gave me satisfaction; the consolation, if so it could be
called, was, that I had possession of the diamonds; the hope--that I
should one day see England again. You see me now--are they not all
avenged?"
I could not but feel the truth of Jackson's last sentence. They were
indeed avenged.