‘In the face of Nodder’s confession,’ cried Mr. Bates, with more excitement in his manner than I had ever before witnessed, ‘the scoundrel swears that Butler was guilty of the attempt. When we entered I addressed him quietly, almost soothingly; Butler did not speak, he stood in readiness to prevent Rotch from snatching Nodder’s confession out of my hands. I read the carpenter’s statement. He listened with his head hung. When I had ended, Butler said to him: “You see now how it has worked out. When do you intend to make your declaration to Mr. Bates?” The man in an instant leaped upon Butler and bore him to the deck. I got hold of his throat to drag him away, and saw the devil’s teeth in Butler’s cheek. I’m an old sea-going hand, Miss Johnstone, and have been forced to listen to some bad language in my time, but never heard I the like of what left Rotch’s lips after I had choked him off Butler and flung him aside. His brain’s giving way,’ said he, addressing Tom.
‘If he’s mad,’ I exclaimed, heartily frightened, ‘his bite may have poisoned you, Tom.’
‘He’s dog-like enough,’ said he, ‘but I don’t fear his teeth. Bates, you forgot to tell Miss Johnstone that before he sprang upon me he called out, “You made the attempt,” using one of the choicest of his diabolical expressions.’
‘We have Nodder’s confession,’ I exclaimed.
‘But he shall confess—he shall confess,’ said Tom, with deep and thrilling intensity of tone; ‘I have him—he can never escape me. He shall confess, or he swings for it by my hand as surely as God’s his judge.’
Saying this, he left the table and went on deck.
‘Mr. Bates,’ said I, ‘how is the man to be brought to own his crime?’
The mate looked at me earnestly and slowly and shook his head.
‘He’ll go out of his mind,’ said he. ‘That’s often how God punishes the like of such wretches. He may confess as a madman, but never while his wits yield light enough to hold his hate in sight. Hate! Why, with him the deadliest of human passions lives wrapped up, pure and unalloyed, in flesh, stalking on two legs, and calling itself Rotch.’
He left me, and for many minutes I stood alone, leaning with my hand upon the cabin table, lost in deep and distracting thought.