ALL THESE THINGS ARE TO BE ANSWERED FOR G204

 ALL THESE THINGS ARE TO BE ANSWERED FOR

(Continued)

"We were robbed by that man who is standing there, taxed by him without mercy, obliged to work for him without pay, obliged to feed scores of his tame birds on our wretched crops, and forbidden to keep a single bird of our own—I say, we were so robbed, and were made so poor, that our father told us it was a dreadful thing to bring a child into the world."

I had never before seen the feeling of being oppressed, bursting forth like a fire. I had supposed that it must be latent somewhere in the people, but I had never seen it break out, until I saw it in the dying boy.

"Doctor, my sister married the man she was engaged to. He was ill at the time, and she married him so that she might tend and comfort him in our cottage. She had not been married many weeks when that man's younger brother saw her and was struck by her beauty. Then with that man's permission and even with his help, he seized her and took her away. I saw them pass me on the road. When I told our father about this, his heart burst. Then, last night I followed him here, and climbed in, sword in hand.

"My sister heard me, and ran in. Then that man's brother came in. He first threw me some pieces of money, then struck me with a whip. As I fought back, he drew his sword and thrust it at me.

"Now, lift me up, Doctor; lift me up. Where is he?"

"He is not here," I said, supporting the boy. I thought that he was referring to the younger of the two noblemen.

"Ha! Proud as these nobles are, he is afraid to see me. Where is the man who was here? Turn my face to him."

I did so, raising the boy's head against my knee. But, filled for the moment with extraordinary strength, he raised himself completely, obliging me to rise too, or I could not have supported him.

"Marquis," said the boy, turning to the man, his eyes opened wide, and his right hand raised," in the days when all these things are to be answered for, I summon you and yours, to the last of your bad race, to answer for them. In the days when all these things are to be answered for, I summon your brother, the worst of your bad race, to answer for them separately."

He stood for an instant with his hand still raised. Then, as it dropped, he dropped with it, and I laid him down dead.