He took her firmly by the shoulders, raised her to her knees, and turned her face upward till her eyes met his.
"Let me look at her," he said, hoarsely. "Who would have believed it?"
"Forgive me! forgive me!" cried the girl.
"Woman, woman! what had I done to you—what, what?"
The girl's sobs alone made answer.
In his rage he took her by the throat. A fearful purpose was written in his face.
"And this is the woman who bowed down the head of her old father nigh to the grave," he said, bitterly, and flung her from him.
Then he staggered back. His little strength had left him. There was silence. Only the girl's weeping could be heard.
The next instant, strangely calm, without a tear in his sad eyes, he stepped to her side and raised her to her feet.
"I was wrong," he said; "surely I was wrong. You could not lie to me like that, and know it. No, no, no!"