Squire Moulton, exasperated at his enemy’s calm dignity of manner, and at his inability to excite his anger, fairly gnashed his teeth, and in a frenzy of passion, exclaimed: “It is a lie—a base lie! You know that you came with your flattery and honeyed words, your wealth and baby face, and won her from me—me, who had always loved her, and whose whole life had been one continual study for her happiness and the gratification of her every wish, in the hope that she would one day be mine. She would have been my wife, but for your coming. She had almost promised me, when you interposed your form between us, and blinded her eyes, and snatched her away from as true a heart as ever beat within a human breast. There was no more joy or sunshine in the dreary world for me. The very sun was black and the stars went out, and demons from the lowest depths of Hades possessed my soul, spurring me on to desperation and revenge. Yes, revenge; and I swore it then and there in my maddening agony. I vowed, and called upon Heaven to witness my oath, that you should yet writhe and suffer even as I did; that you should cry out in your misery for mercy, but that you should cry and plead in vain. I have followed and dogged you ever since, striving to wreak my vengeance upon you. But the Fates have been against me, with the exception of once or twice, until now. Now that you are in my power, my very soul pains me with the intense desire I have to see your torture and misery begin; to see you clasp your hands, and on your knees sue for mercy; to see you beat your breast, tear your hair, and plead and beg for death to release you from your torments!” The villain had wrought himself to the highest pitch of excitement, and he fairly shrieked out his last words, as he shook his fist in the face of his astonished rival. I say astonished, for Mr. Ellerton had never dreamed that any defeated lover would carry his disappointment to such an extent, and he gazed upon the furious man with a sort of stupid amazement, as he realized that this jealous and revengeful lover of so many years ago was the cause of his present suffering and imprisonment. He knew that he had always hated him for being his successful rival, and for that reason always kept out of his way, thinking the less he had to do with him the better. He had never thought of such a thing as his attempting to revenge himself, until six years ago, when he married Robert and Dora. He recognized the fact then, and cursed him for it, but supposed that would be the extent to which he would carry it. Now that he found he had been hated, cursed, and pursued all his life-time, and for this one offense, he could not help regarding with wonder the man who had devoted his whole life to such an unworthy and dishonorable purpose.