She rocked herself to and fro for a minute, wringing her hands in a passion of anguish worse than any words, but a minute later she turned on him all at once.
“All's o'er betwixt yo' an' me,” she said with fierce heat; “do yo' know that? If yo' wur half a mon yo' would.”
He sat up and stared at her humbly and stupidly.
“Eh?” he said at last.
“Theer's not a mon i' Arle as isna more to me now than tha art,” she said, “Some on 'em be honest, an' I conna say that o' thee. Tha canst get thee gone or I'll go mysen. Tha knows't me well enow to know I'll ne'er forgie thee for what tha's done. Aye”—with the passionate hand-wringing again—“but that wunnot undo it.”
He rose and came to her, trembling like a man with the ague.
“Yo' dunnot mean that theer, Meg,” he said slowly. “You dunnot mean it word fur word. Think a bit.”
“Aye, but I do,” she answered him, setting her white teeth, “word fur word.”
“Think again, wench.” And this time he staggered and caught hold of the door-post. “Is theer nowt as'll go agen th' wrong? I've lived wi'thee nigh a year, an' I've loved thee twenty—is theer nowt fur me? Aye, lass, dunnot be too hard. Tha was allus harder than most womankind; try an' be a bit softer like to'rds th' mon as risked his soul because he wur a mon an' darena lose thee. Tha laid thy head on my shoulder last neet. Aye, lass—lass, think o' that fur one minnit.”
Perhaps she did think of it, for surely she faltered a little—what woman would not have faltered at such a moment?—but the next, the memory of the sunny, half-boyish face she had clung to with so strong a love rushed back upon her and struck her to the heart. She remembered the days when her life had seemed so full that she had feared her own bliss; she remembered the gallant speeches and light-hearted wiles, and all at once she cried out in a fierce, impassioned voice: “I'll ne'er forgie thee,” she said—“I'll ne'er forgie thee to th' last day o' my life. What fur should I? Tha's broke my heart, thou villain—tha's broke my heart.” And the next minute she had pushed past him and rushed into the house.