Her terrible passion, her wild eyes, grinding teeth, would have been dreadful enough under any circumstances--they were unspeakably horrible with her brother’s death so recent, uttered with such vehemence in the dark, silent night. Nat tried to speak, but his faltered words, ‘Miss Tina,’ were swept away almost before he had uttered them. And still she kept clinging and clutching at his jacket, as if but for its support she would have fallen on the ground. ‘Ha! ha! I’ll shame him, see if I don’t,’ cried Tina. ‘I’ll do harm to him, and I’ll do injury to you! It was your mother came to the house this evening, and was clever enough to bring us all to ruin. You haven’t spared me. You have told about the letter. I couldn’t expect that you would be good to me. I’ll hurt you. I will. You have brought us to destruction. My brother is dead .... he is dead .... and you shall die!’ ‘Miss Tina,’ cried Nat, and his breath was lost in sobs. That seemed to startle her; for a moment she was quiet. Seizing on that instant, he wrestled with his agitation so as just to be able to speak--he could do no more than that. ‘Before God, Miss Tina, I’ve done no harm to thee. I’ve not said a word o’ ye, not to t’ Squire. If my mother knew anything as she’ve told to your uncle, I don’t know who she knew it from--it’s not from me. I’ve been beaten and shamed. I’ve been turned out from my place. They say I’ve stole money. I don’t know the rights of it. I went down to t’ river to-night to drown mysel’. There isn’t no hope in all t’ world for me. But I can’t bear to see ye .... so alone .... so left alone ....’ the sobs caught his breath, so that he could scarcely speak .... ‘I’ve got three shillen .... if ye will take ’em from me ... it’ll be the last thing as I can do for ye.’ He took out the money, and she took it in her hand, and then let it drop through her fingers to the ground. The clink of the money sounded strange in the night. They did not speak to each other. They scarcely seemed to breathe. And then, with a passionate movement, she threw her arms round him, and broke out into weeping, with her head upon his breast.