At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 214: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AT A GIRL’S MERCY. 203 questioned, haughtily. ‘Do you think that such men as you, who prove yourselves such cowards as to fightin the dark when our brave soldiers never fear the light—do you think that such as you could - daunt the spirit of one of our brave women? We scorn you as we would scorn so many serpents at our feet, but we would not hurl you lower, for we could not. There is no depth you have not reached. I could not wish you truer retribution than that which has fallen upon you. I said I would not lift my finger to save your life were it in my power, and I would not, though I would not hurl you lower were you not already sentenced to go. I can save your hfe if I will. You need not thank me,” the fine scorn in her face silencing the words upon his lips as he started eagerly forward. I wish no thanks, and you must first hear what I have tosay. My father, you say, is in your power. You mistake there. You have it, it may be, in your power to sen- tence him to death, but you could no more claim power over him than you could ciaim a hold of an angel above you. Heis so far beyond your reach that I would let him die, ay, and he would wish me to do it rather than set such a man as you at liberty to do the harm again that you have already done. My father will die, you say, at the same hour that you die. [can spare your lifeif I will, I have the word of the man who, by one gesture, could stop the deed at the instant ere it were done, but I will not do it !’’ She was magnificent in her scorn. He felt an in- _ tense sense of admiration for her spirit in spite of the fact that her words meant his death knell. There was a flash and a lghtin her eyes that for- bade her saving the life of her grand old father by also saving the life of thisman. There was a hu- militv about it that she could not bear. She would not lift one finger to stop the righteous sentence that had been passed upon him. She could save him, but she would not. All the suffering of those brave men who had come under her care arose be- fore her, and she could herself have struck this man dead. She would utter no word to spare his life— Eomicbooks. co =|