"And what do you propose doing?" asked Père Antoine.
"Why, what I've already told you a dozen times--treat him like a mad dog. I shall arrest him at once, and take him back with me as prisoner to God's Voice. When once I've got him there, I shall make him confess and get together sufficient evidence to have him hanged. This whole affair has been a scandal, and I'm going to put a stop to it. I shall make an example of this man. Why, soon it won't be safe to travel anywhere, unless you go protected. He must have had a nice lot of ruffians for his friends, if this fellow Spurling was a specimen. And now they've taken to paying him visits. . . ."
The canoe bore the speaker out of earshot, leaving the listeners with the sentence uncompleted.
Granger was aroused from some very uncomfortable imaginings by Spurling, who, touching him on the elbow, exclaimed in surprise, "Why, it isn't me; it's you they're after!"
Then, when he received no answer, he asked, "What is it that you have done?"
It was Cain accusing Judas with a vengeance.
"Done! I've done nothing," Granger exclaimed, pushing him aside; "Robert Pilgrim is mistaken."
"That's what we all say, until we are forced to own up."
But Granger was not listening to what Spurling said; he was tortured with the truth of one sentence which he had heard that night. "If he didn't actually kill him, it wasn't for lack of the desire." How had Robert Pilgrim guessed that? As he himself had confessed to Strangeways, he had been tempted at first to let him go on his way unwarned, and take his chances of falling through the ice. Eventually he had cautioned him, but so late and in such a manner that his words had only had the effect of skilfully forwarding his earlier base intention. _If he had not actually killed him, it was not for lack of the desire._ And by how much was he superior to this man, crouching at his side, whom he had so often condemned and had again condemned that night?
Spurling answered that question for him. Rising to his feet and stretching his cramped arms and legs, he remarked, "Well, of course, if you won't take me into your confidence, there's nothing more to be said. If you don't want to tell me, I won't trouble you by asking again; but it seems to me that we're both in the one boat now."