“Don’t speak to me. Your poor sister! If she were alive it would break her heart to hear of this. She used to talk about you. I have heard her speak so often of your honor. This would break her heart. Stand by and let me go.”
She moved towards the door, going by the edge of the room, so as to keep as far away from me as possible.
“Mistress Van Volkenberg,” I said when she was near the threshold, “there is much justice in what you say.”
“Of course there is much justice in what I say.”
“But you are not right in all. I cannot explain everything now, but let me tell you my resolution. I am willing to make amends.”
“Amends! You cannot. You are false to perdition.”
“I can confess myself and give myself up to justice.”
“Yes, your justice. Go to your sweet Earl and say, ‘Faith, I’ve been a naughty boy, forgive me.’ And he will say, ‘Yes.’ I know him. My father would not stand his evil practice and that is why he left the council. So your horseback-riding governor is your amends, is it? I see you are a coward as well as a villain. O God, can such men live and look like other men?”
“No, mistress, this is not what I intended to do. I intended to go to your father.”
“You dare not.”