"
"Little father, I have many troubles, and I wish to forget."
"Your troubles!" said Edwards, though his anger was a little bit
assumed: he wished to frighten the man into better ways. "What are your
troubles? Think of that beautiful lady you are always talking about, who
interested herself in you--the bigger fool she!--think of her trouble
when she knows that her father is to die; and for what? Because he was
not obedient to the laws of the Society. And he is punished with death;
and you, have you been obedient? What has become of your promises to
me?"
The man before him seemed at this moment to arouse himself. He answered
nothing to the reproaches hurled at him; but said, with a glance of
eager interest in the sunken eyes,
"Is she in great trouble, little father?"
This gleam of intelligence rather startled Edwards. He had been merely
scolding a half-drunken poor devil, and had been incautious as to what
he said. He continued, with greater discretion,
"Would she have her troubles made any the less if she knew how you were
behaving? She was interested in you; many a time she asked about you--"
"Yes, yes," the man said, slowly; and he was twisting about the cap that
he held in his hand.
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