Sir George rose to his feet, leaned toward me with glaring eyes, struck the table a terrible blow with his fist, and said:-- "By the blood of God I swear that if Doll refuses to marry Stanley, and persists in her refusal, I'll whip her.

Wyatt is a man after my own heart.
I'll starve her.

I'll kill her.

Ay, if I loved her ten thousand times more than I do, I would kill her or she should obey me." Then dawned upon me a vision of terrible possibilities.

I was sure Sir George could not force Dorothy to marry against her will; but I feared lest he might kill her in his effort to "break her." I do not mean that I feared he would kill her by a direct act, unless he should do so in a moment of frenzy induced by drink and passion, but I did fear for the results of the breaking process.