The Householder turned quickly and spat into the fireplace.
"Blasphemer," he cried, "my gorge rises at you! Can there be any forgiveness until you repent? Can there be any Peace in the world if you go loose in it, ready to break and enter and kill when it pleases you? Will you lay down your weapons and come before the Judge?"
The Burglar rose slowly to his feet, twisting up his mustache with bloody brass-knuckled hands.
"You are a colossal ass," he growled. "You forget how strong I am, how much I can still hurt you. I have offered you a chance to get Peace. Don't you want it?"
"Not as a present from you," said the Householder slowly. "It would poison me. I would rather die a decent man's death."
He went a step nearer to the Burglar, who quickly backed away.
"Come," the Householder continued, "let us bandy compliments no longer. You are where you have no right to be. You can talk when I get you before the Judge. I want Peace no more than I want Justice. While there is a God in heaven and honest freemen still live on earth I will fight for both."
He took a fresh grip on his club, and the Burglar backed again, ready to spring.
Through the dead silence of the room there came a loud knocking at the door. Could it be the big neighbor from across the lake?