"Don't touch me, please," he shuddered. "It's awful--awful! And I--I loved you so!"
"Haw!" chuckled Ben, settling back against the child's box. "I says as how the gal comes to my shanty. She brings the brat to its pa."
Frederick moodily considered the ugly face. The sneer that accompanied the declaration roused his rage; the brute had sealed the doom of Tessibel Skinner. Again the student was oblivious of his love for the profession he had chosen; forgot that the one book he had studied more than any other taught him that the God he worshiped would avenge all wrong. In one step he was upon the fisherman. He lifted Orn Skinner's stool, and brought it down with a crash upon Ben's head.
Tess uttered a sharp, frightened cry, speeding to interrupt another blow.
"Get out of the way," cried the student, pushing her from him. "I am going to kill him!"
With no ungentle touch she grasped Frederick's arm, holding the stool in the air.
"Ye air to wait," she said, in low, swift tones, her gaze dominating his flashing eyes. "Ye'll kill him if ye hit him again.... Wait till I says what I's a-goin' to ... I loves my Daddy, that ye knows--better'n anything in the hull world--better'n God--better'n--better'n--"
"Better than the child?" demanded Frederick, placing his foot upon Ben.
A grunt issued from the girl's lips.
"Yep, a hundred times better than the brat! And I says this: that I hopes my daddy's neck'll be twisted by the rope, I hopes that I never sees him again"--her voice was raised high above the whistling wind and dashing rain--"I hopes," she finished, "that his soul'll shrivel in hell--"
"Stop! stop!" muttered Frederick. "Why are you saying such things?"
"I hopes it all," insisted Tess, bending her head nearer, "and I swears that I hopes it if Ben Letts ain't a liar!"
Frederick's foot slipped from the round, fat body. He took a long breath, brushing a damp lock from his brow.
"I believe you," he surrendered slowly. "Oh, God! Tessibel, I believe you--and I love you, in spite of that!"
His glance swept over Ben's prostrate body to the death-like child. Letts sat up with an oath, rubbing the inflicted bruises. Frederick helped him to his feet.
"You go home," he said, piercing the fisherman with his burning eyes. "And let me warn you against fastening any of your lies upon this girl, for whatever she is, or whatever she has done, I know that you lied to-night.... Now go!" Frederick pointed toward the door.