Jim felt almost as much
ashamed of involving his regiment in his scandal as Charity.
He had suffered so greatly from the embarrassment of the publicity
that he could hardly endure to face his regiment and drill with his
company. He offered his resignation again, but it was not accepted.
In fact, under the new condition of the National Guard service, his
immediate officers had nothing to do with his resignation.
The probability of a call to arms, not against Mexico, but against
the almost almighty German Empire, was so great that it looked like
slackery or cowardice to ask to be excused. His next dread was that
the regiment would be mustered in before the case was finished,
compelling its postponement and leaving Charity to languish
unrevenged.
For his inclusive anger at Everywoman soon changed back to deeper
affection than ever. The first sight of her on the witness-stand
at the mercy of the inquisition of the unscrupulous Beattie brought
back all his old emotions for her and unnumbered new.
He had seen a picture of one of the Christian martyrs whose torture
was inflicted on her by a man armed with steel pincers to pluck off
her flesh from her shuddering soul bit by bit. It seemed to him
that his sainted Charity was condemned to like atrocity. Her hands
were bound by the thongs of the law, her body was stripped to the
eyes of the crowd, and the tormentor went here and there, nipping
at the quick with intolerable cruelty.
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