"Now, pay attention," he proceeded at once.
"I'll go over a few facts--this Daniel Culser, you were in love with
him; no length you wouldn't go, lost your senses completely; and he--all
he cared about was the money he could wring out of you. As soon as you
were paid the sums that Mr. Penny allowed you, this Culser got it from
you; he took every cent and wanted more. Said he would leave you unless
you got hold of something really worth while. Then, of course, you
carried on, promised to get him more and more; said you could force a
fortune from Mr. Penny, anything to keep the young man. Hey?" he
demanded suddenly.
The woman looked up with a haggard wonder, an irrepressible shudder; her
hands raised and fell, and she nodded dumbly.
"Then, while Culser was in the house, Mr. Penny unexpectedly turned up
and said--perhaps before Daniel himself--that you could expect nothing
more, and made it plain that he was not to be intimidated. Daniel Culser
was for leaving you, didn't intend to hang around for a bloody little
quarterly; and, when you realized that he meant, or you thought he
meant, what he said, you went crazy and shot him.... What!" He got no
response from her now; she cowered away from him, hiding behind an
updrawn shoulder, a fold of the shawl.
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