Blind Love

"But tell me one thing first. Brutus killed a man; Charlotte Corday

killed a man. One of the two victims was a fine tyrant, and the other a

mean tyrant. Nobody blames those two historical assassins. Why then

blame me for wishing to make a third? Is a mere modern murderer beneath

my vengeance, by comparison with two classical tyrants who did their

murders by deputy? The man who killed Arthur Mountjoy is (next to Cain

alone) the most atrocious homicide that ever trod the miry ways of this

earth. There is my reply! I call it a crusher.

"So now my mind is easy. Darling, let me make your mind easy next.

"When I left you at the window of Vimpany's house, I was off to the

other railroad to find the murderer in his hiding-place by the seaside.

He had left it; but I got a trace, and went back to London--to the

Docks. Some villain in Ireland, who knows my purpose, must have turned

traitor. Anyhow, the wretch has escaped me.

"Yes; I searched the ship in every corner. He was not on board. Has he

gone on before me, by an earlier vessel? Or has he directed his flight

to some other part of the world? I shall find out in time. His day of

reckoning will come, and he, too, shall know a violent death! Amen. So

be it. Amen.

"Have I done now? Bear with me, gentle Iris--there is a word more to

come.

"You will wonder why I went on by the steamship--all the way to South

Africa--when I had failed to find the man I wanted, on board. What was

my motive? You, you alone, are always my motive. Lucky men have found

gold, lucky men have found diamonds. Why should I not be one of them?

My sweet, let us suppose two possible things; my own elastic

convictions would call them two likely things, but never mind that.

Say, I come back a reformed character; there is your only objection to

me, at once removed! And take it for granted that I return with a

fortune of my own finding. In that case, what becomes of Mr. Henley's

objection to me? It melts (as Shakespeare says somewhere) into thin

air. Now do take my advice, for once. Show this part of my letter to

your excellent father, with my love. I answer beforehand for the

consequences. Be happy, my Lady Harry--as happy as I am--and look for

my return on an earlier day than you may anticipate. Yours till death,

and after.

"HARRY."