this man, who under such
circumstances dared to resume that tone of impudent superiority which
once before he had ventured to adopt. Her strength revived under such
a stimulus, and for a time her bitter  and wordnetanger
stilled the deep  and  of her .

The voice with which she answered was no longer agitated or excited.
It was cool, firm, and penetrating--a tone which reminded him of her
old domineering manner.

"You are not asked to give up your work," said she. "It is done. You
are dismissed."

"Dismissed!" said Gualtier, with a sneer. "You ought to know that I
am not one who can be dismissed."

"I know that you can be, and that you are," said Hilda. "If you were
capable of understanding me you would know this. But you, base and
low-born hireling that you are, what can there be in common between
one like you and one like me?"

"One ," said Gualtier. "_Crime_!"

Hilda changed not a feature.

"What  I for that? It is over. I have passed into another life.
Your coarse and vulgar threats avail nothing. This moment ends all
communication between us forever. You may do what you like.