rry this man!" said he, fiercely striking the table with his
fist.

"I never will!" replied Emily, trembling at Jaspar's violence, but firm
in her purpose.

"Remember! girl, remember what you are!" said Jaspar, passionately.

"Enough of this," said Emily. "I leave you for--"

"Stay, lady! You must not leave the room," interrupted De Guy, laying
his hand upon her arm.

"Remove your hand, villain, nor dare to pollute me with your touch!"
exclaimed Emily, shaking off his hand as though it had been
contamination.

The hitherto placid features of the attorney darkened into a scowl of
malignity, as he said,

"Madam, we have been too long subject to your caprice. Here let it end.
Know that mighty interests depend upon the union this day to be
consummated, and we refuse longer to submit to your whims."

"Yes, Emily, the honor and safety of your family name depend upon your
acquiescence in this plan," said Jaspar, whose passion had moderated a
little.

"I will never countenance any of your unhallowed plots," replied Emily,
and she again moved towards the door.

"You leave not the room till you consent to this union," interposed De
Guy.

"Stand from my path, or I will summon assistance!"

"Your summons would be in vain."

With a proud step and a curling lip, Emily attempted to advance; but De
Guy seized her by the arm, and restrained her. She struggled to free
herself from the villain's grasp, without success. Knowing that Vernon
was within hearing of her, she called "Jerome," at the top of her voice.

"No use, madam. The gentleman whose name you utter is a friend of mine,"
said the attorney. "He conveyed you here as an emissary of mine. Haven't
you known him before?" said De Guy, with a mixture of sarcasm and
triumph in the tones of his squeaky voice.

The door-handle was at this moment seized on the outside. The door was
wrenched and pushed, but it did not yield, for De Guy had taken the
precaution to lock it.

"Who is there?" shouted the attorney, alarmed at the intrusion.

"Open," said Jerome, "or I force the door!"

"What does this mean?" asked Jaspar, who had remained a quiet spectator
to the violence offered his niece.

"I will soon ascertain," said De Guy, dragging Emily after him, towards
a large closet on the other side of the room.

"Help! help!" again screamed Emily; and, ere she had the second time
uttered the word, a crash was heard, the library-door splintered, and
Vernon stood in the roo