But the spasm passed after a few moments, and when he looked up Eve was standing before him. He eyed her silently for some time. He was wondering just how much she knew.
There was little doubt in his mind that she knew a great deal. Horror and suffering were so deeply lined upon her young face, and in her beautiful eyes was such a wild, hunted look, that there was very little doubt in his mind that she knew what most of the village knew by this time. But she didn’t know all he knew, not by a lot. And she wasn’t going to know it all. Only some of it. She was suffering. So was he––in a different way. He would help her to suffer more yet. It was good to see other folks suffering.
“Who’s bin here, sis?” he demanded.
“Only Annie. But, Elia, tell me you––you didn’t meet Will?”
The boy chuckled without any visible sign. Even the pain of his body could not rob him of his cruel love of inflicting pain. He ignored her question for the moment.
“Annie?” he responded. “Did she tell you, sis? Did she tell you your Will was dead? Eh?” He 373 leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. “I’m glad––real glad. He was sure bad, an’ no use to you. She told you?”
But suddenly the poor woman buried her face in her hands, as though to shut out the hideous thoughts his words brought back to her.
“Yes, yes,” she cried, “I know he’s dead, and they’re trying Jim for it. Oh, God, it’s awful! They say he did it. But he didn’t, I know he didn’t. He only said he’d do it if Will had killed you. He didn’t kill you, so Jim didn’t do it. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. And I sent him out there to the bluff. And if they hang him it’s my doing. Oh, Jim, Jim!” She fell to moaning and rocking herself as she stood. “But they mustn’t kill him. They won’t. Will they? Say they won’t, Elia. Oh, Jim, Jim! I want you so badly. I––I–––”
“You’re sweet on him, sis?” Elia said, with a gleam of fiendish satisfaction in his wonderful eyes.
“I sent him,” reiterated the woman, ignoring his question, and lost in her own misery. “Oh, Jim, Jim!”