There was a pause.  Barton felt that what had been said was true and not true.  One of the most painful consequences of wrong-doing is that the wrong has a sort of fungus growth about it, and insists upon appearing more wrong than it ever was meant to be.

“Hawkstone,” he said at last, “I swear to you, on my honour as a gentleman, I have never dreamed of doing her an injury.  I have been very, very foolish; I have come between you and her with my cursed folly.  I deserve anything you may say or do to me.  I care nothing about the waves; let them come.  Take her with you up the cliff, and leave me to drown.  It’s all I’m fit for.  She will forget me soon enough, I feel sure, for I am not worth remembering.”

Hawkstone still kept himself bent down, his hands covering his face, and his body swaying to and fro with his strong emotions.

“You talk, you talk,” he muttered.  “You seem to have ruined her, and me, and yourself too.”

“Not ruined her!” cried Barton, “I have told you, I swear to you.  I swear—­”

“Yes!” cried Hawkstone, springing up in a passion and towering above Barton, with his hands tightly clenched and his chest heaving, “Yes! you are too great a coward for that.  In one moment I could crush you as I crush the mussels in the harbour with my heel.”

Nelly threw herself upon him, “Jack, spare him, spare him.  He meant no harm.  Not now, not now!  The sea, Jack, the sea!  Save us, save us!”

The man’s strength seemed to leave him, and she seemed to overpower him, as he sank back into his former position, muttering “O God, O God!” At last he said, “Let be, let be—­there, there, I’ve prayed I might not kill you both, and the devil is gone, thank the Lord for it.  There, lass, don’t fret; I can’t abide crying.  The sea! the sea!  Yes, the sea.  I had almost forgotten it.  Cheer up a bit—­fearful—­how it blows—­but there’s time yet—­a few minutes.  Keep up, keep up.  There’s a God above us anyway.”

At this moment a shout was heard above them.  “There they are at last,” cried Hawkstone, and he sent a loud halloo up the cliff, which was immediately responded to by those at the top, though the sound seemed faint and far off.  After the lapse of about five minutes, a basket attached to two ropes descended slowly and bumped upon the rocks.

“Now, lass, you get up first.  Come, come, give over crying.  It’s no time for crying now.  Be a brave lass or you’ll fall out.  Sit down and keep tight hold.  Shut your eyes, never mind a bump or two, and keep tight hold.  Now then!” He lifted her into the basket.  She tried to take his hand, but he drew it sharply away.

“Oh, forgive me, forgive me, Jack,” she said, “I have been very wicked, but I will try to be good.”

“That’s right, lass, that’s right.  God keep you safe.  Hold on,” and he gave a shout up the cliff, and the basket began slowly to ascend.  The two men gazed at it in silence till it reached the summit, when, with a rapid swirl, it disappeared.