"They are here; they have come to witness his degradation--to grace my
triumph--to feel it, and understand my revenge. We will see if the proud
beauty knows me now--if she yet continues to discard and to disdain me.
I have her now upon my own terms. She will not refuse; I am sure of her;
I shall conquer her proud heart; I will lead her in chains, the heaviest
chains of all--the chains of a dreadful necessity. He must die else! I
will howl it in her ears with the voice of the wolf; I will paint it
before her eyes with a finger dipped in blood and in darkness! She shall
see him carried to the gallows; I shall make her note the halter about
his neck--that neck, which, in her young thought, her arms were to have
encircled only; nor shall she shut her eyes upon the last scene, nor
close her ears to the last groan of my victim! She shall see and hear
all, or comply with all that I demand! It must be done: but how? How
shall I see her? how obtain her presence? how command her attention?
Pshaw! shall a few beardless soldiers keep me back, and baffle me in
this? Shall I dread the shadow now, and shrink back when the sun shines
out that makes it? I will not fear.
Pages:
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764