I
think that is all I have to say."
"All you have to say!" gasped Mr. Haswell, "all you have to say, you
impertinent and ungrateful minx!" Then he fell into a furious fit of
rage and in language that need not be repeated, poured a stream of
threats and abuse upon Alan and herself. Barbara waited until he ceased
from exhaustion.
"Uncle," she said, "you should remember that your heart is weak and
you must not overexcite yourself, also when you are calmer, that if you
speak to me like that again, I shall go to the Court at once, for I will
not be sworn at by you or by any other man. I apologize to you, Alan;
I am afraid I have brought you into strange company. Come, my dear,
we will go and order your dogcart," and putting her arm affectionately
through his, she went with him from the room.
"I wonder who put her up to all this?" gasped Haswell, as the door
closed behind them. "Some infernal lawyer, I'll be bound. Well, she has
got the whip hand of me, and I can't face an investigation in Chancery,
especially as the only thing against Vernon is that the value of his
land has fallen. But I swear that she shall never marry him while I
live," he ended in a kind of shout and the domed and painted ceiling
echoed back his words--"_while I live_" after which the room was silent,
save for the heavy thumping of his heart.
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