“‘I brought her here so’s you’d see for your own self,’ he says. ‘The easiest way. No fuss.’” “Oh, I’ll kill. Afore day I will.” “He said ‘You see how it is with me, Dosia. I brought her here.’ It’s all the same. He brought her in the door of the hall, before all the people, came inside the door with her, his hand ahold of her arm, before your eyes, came inside the hall of the festival.” “Oh, I can’t bear not to. I’ll kill, kill....” “‘I brought her here so’s you’d see for your own self.’ ... Then he bought her a treat at the counter where the things to eat were. His hand on her arm and on her shoulder. His hand on her back.” “Kill, I will. I couldn’t bear not to.” Theodosia felt her body slipping into the chair and leaning nearer. She wanted justice. She leaned close to Lethe’s body, her hands on the edge of the table beside Lethe’s hands. She was shut into a complete stillness and she was mingled with Lethe’s anger and hate. “Ross,” she said. “Lou. I’ll rip her open. I’ll stab inside.” “Did Ross bring Lou to see you? ‘You see how it is with me,’ he said. Did he ever?” “Oh, I’ll kill her. She knows. She ought to know.” “‘I brought her here so’s you’d see for yourself,’ he said.” “Oh, I’ll kill. Afore day, I will.” “‘She’s out at the gate to wait for me. I brought her here so’s you’d see. For yourself.’” “Oh, God, I aim to kill. He knows I mean what I say.” “Kill Ross. Who’s he to go free?” “Lou. She’s already dead now.” “He said, ‘You see how it is with me....’ He brought her in the hall of the festival. He came inside the door with her.” “Oh, I can’t bear not....” “‘I brought her here so’s you’d see for your own self.’” Suddenly Lethe turned upon her and threw her arms about her neck, holding her in a deep and tender embrace for a long instant, a powerful maternal caress. Theodosia could feel the impact of the stiffened muscles when, after relaxation, they leaped to renewed force, and she could hear the deep sob of hate where it arose and shook Lethe’s bosom with a force that beat with pain upon her own more slender body. When Lethe turned away toward the table again she sat leaning upon it as before. She seemed to have sunk into a dream. People were passing, voices talking softly, steps falling unevenly on the rough road. Americy had fallen into a state of quiet weeping, her arms about Stig’s shoulders. Then Lethe lifted her head suddenly as if she were hearing something from without. Her hand leaped to the knife-handle with such suddenness and such force that Theodosia’s hand was swept off the board. Then Lethe had sprung from her place and had rushed out at the door. Theodosia sat bowed over the table, staring at the place where Lethe’s hand had been, or her eyes would dart about over the board, looking for the knife, expecting to see the knife where it had lain. A remote footstep went by in the street or another paused at the gate, or drifted on. She accepted these as a part of the night outside.