‘Oh, Blodget!’ ejaculated Inez, her fortitude failing her when she saw the villain’s recklessness and determination, and reflected that she was entirely in his power, and left solely to his mercy, or the interposition of Providence, ‘will nothing induce you to relent in your cruelty?’ ‘Nothing,’ answered Blodget, ‘until I have gained the full gratification of my wishes, and the consummation of all my hopes. Then only shall I be satisfied.’ ‘What mean you?’ ‘You will behold Monteagle no more.’ ‘Oh, God!’ ejaculated Inez, and her heart throbbed heavily against her side, her cheeks turned ashy pale, and her limbs trembled violently as a dread of something terrible about to take place, through the guilty machinations of the wretch who stood before her, darted upon her brain; ‘cruel as you are, surely you would not seek his life?’ A grim and sardonic smile passed over the features of Blodget as she gave utterance to these words, but he returned no answer; his looks spoke more than words, and had a thunderbolt at that moment descended upon her head, Inez could not have felt more paralyzed and awe-struck than she did at that time. With distended eye-lids, she fixed upon him a look which was sufficient to have penetrated even the most obdurate heart, and to carry awe to the guilty soul; her features became stern and fixed; her lips parted but she uttered no sound, and, suddenly approaching the astonished Blodget, she grasped his arm vehemently, and looked full upon him. Blodget could not help, in spite of all his hardihood, shuddering beneath her gaze, and the singularity of her behavior, but he was not a minute before he completely recovered himself, and looking coolly and indifferently upon her, awaited what she had got to say without first offering any observation of his own. ‘Blodget!’ at length ejaculated our heroine, in a solemn tone of voice, and with her brilliant and expressive eyes still fixed with the same earnestness of expression upon his countenance; ‘Blodget, in the name of that Almighty power who guides all our actions, and before whose dread tribunal you must some time or the other appear, however much at present you may despise His name—by all your hopes of forgiveness for the many and heinous crimes you have committed, I charge you tell me—solemnly tell me, what are your wicked designs?’ ‘Psha!’ cried Blodget, and a fearful smile again overspread his countenance. ‘Nay, I command you, in the name of the most High, to set my horrible fears at rest, and tell me,’ demanded Inez, and her heart throbbed more violently than ever, and her whole soul seemed to be wrapped up in the answer which Blodget would return to her; and she appeared as if she would drag the secret from his heart with her eyes. ‘Enough of this,’ at last said Blodget, ‘I came not here to talk upon a subject like this, and—’