"Is he not a
horror?"
"He is. But that was not what made me turn away: I found if I looked a
moment longer I should hate him in spite of myself."
"And why shouldn't you hate him? You would be doing the wretch no wrong.
Even if he knew it, it would be only what he deserved."
"That you cannot tell except you knew all about his nature, and every
point of his history from the beginning of the creation till now. I dare
not judge even a dog-fish. And whatever his deserts, I don't choose to
hate him, because I don't choose to hate."
She turned away, and Vavasor saw she wanted no more of the dog-fish.
"Oh!" cried Saffy, with a face of terror, "look, look, mamma! It's
staring at me!"
The child hid her face in her mother's gown, yet turned immediately to
look again.
Mr. Raymount looked also, following her gaze, and was fascinated by the
sight that met his eyes. Through the glass, high above his head, and not
far from the surface, he saw a huge thornback, bending toward them and
seeming to look down on them, as it flew slowly through the water--the
action of the two sides of its body fringed with fins, and its
consequent motion, were much more like the act of flying than that of
swimming.
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