Then he silently lifted his cap and , with no word of farewell , he turned and went down to the gate . A bitter sense of defeat and disappointment filled his heart as he drove away . Min stood in the doorway and watched the sleigh out of sight down the river road . Then she gave a long , shivering sigh that was almost a moan . `` If I had met that man long ago , '' she said slowly , as if groping vaguely in some hitherto unsounded depth of consciousness , `` I would never have become what I am . I felt that as I looked at him -- it all came over me with an awful sickening feeling -- just as if we were standing alone somewhere out of the world where there was no need of words to say things . He does n't despise me -- he would n't sneer at me , bad as I am , like those creatures up there . He could have helped me if we had met in time , but it 's too late now . '' She locked her hands over her eyes and groaned , swaying her body to and fro as one in mortal agony . Presently she looked out again with hard , dry eyes . `` What a fool I am ! '' she said bitterly . `` How the Corner saints would stare if they saw me ! I suppose some of them do -- '' with a glance at the windows of a neighbouring house . `` Yes , there 's Mrs. Rawlings staring out and Rose peeking over her shoulder . '' Her face hardened . The old sway of evil passion reasserted itself . `` She shall never come back here -- never . Oh , she was a sweet-spoken cat of a thing -- but she had claws . I 've been blamed for all the trouble .
But if ever I had a chance , I 'd tell XXXXX minister how she used to twit and taunt me in that sugary way of hers -- how she schemed and plotted against me as long as she could .
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