'I shall be there at the judgment,' he muttered half
aloud, looking up to the cold, cloudy sky, almost as if he expected to
see the sign of the coming of the Lord. But there was no sign there; and,
after gazing for a minute or two, he turned in the direction of the
cabin, where he could see a glimmer of the light within through the
chinks of the door and shutter.
Bess and Martha were still sitting hand in hand as Miss Anne had left
them; but they both started up as Stephen entered, pale and ghastly from
his long conflict with grief and temptation on the hills. He was come
home conquered, though he did not know it; and the expression of his face
was one of hatred and vengeance, instead of sorrow and love. He bade
Black Bess to be off out of his sight in a voice so changed and harsh,
that both the girls were frightened, and Martha stole away tremblingly
with her. He was alone then, with his sleeping grandfather on the bed,
and the dead child lying in the corner, from which he carefully averted
his eyes; when there came a quiet tap at the door, and, before he could
answer, it was slowly opened, and the master stepped into the cabin.
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