“Is no short time necessary for reflection; no weeks or days?” he asked, in the same half-suffocated way.

“None whatever.”

“Are you quite decided, and is there no chance of any change in my favour?”

“I am quite decided, Mr. Headstone, and I am bound to answer I am certain there is none.”

“Then,” said he, suddenly changing his tone and turning to her, and bringing his clenched hand down upon the stone with a force that laid the knuckles raw and bleeding; “then I hope that I may never kill him!”

The dark look of hatred and revenge with which the words broke from his livid lips, and with which he stood holding out his smeared hand as if it held some weapon and had just struck a mortal blow, made her so afraid of him that she turned to run away. But he caught her by the arm.