hand and kissed it gently.

Dorothy and I remained in the banquet hail, seated upon the stone bench
under the blazoned window.

Soon Sir George returned, closely followed by two men, one of whom bore
manacles such as were used to secure prisoners in the dungeon. Sir George
did not speak. He turned to the men and motioned with his hand toward
Dorothy. I sprang to my feet, intending to interfere by force, if need be,
to prevent the outrage; but before I could speak Lady Crawford hurriedly
entered the hall and ran to Sir George's side.

"Brother," she said, "old Bess has just told me that you have given orders
for Dorothy's confinement in the dungeon. I could not believe Bess; but
these men with irons lead me to suspect that you really intend.--"

"Do not interfere in affairs that do not concern you," replied Sir George,
sullenly.

"But this does concern me greatly," said Aunt Dorothy, "and if you send
Doll to the dungeon, Madge and I will leave your house and will proclaim
your act to all England."

"The girl has disobeyed me and has lied to me, and--"

"I care not what she has done, I shall leave your house and disown you for
my brother if you perpetrate this outrage upon my niece. She is dear to me
as if she were my own child. Have I not brought her up since babyhood? If
you carry out this order, brother, I will leave Haddon Hall forever."

"And I'll go with her," cried old Bess, who stood at the door of the
screens.

"And I, too," said Dawson, who was one of the men who had entered with Sir
George.

"And I," cried the other man, throwing the manacles to the floor, "I will
leave your service."

Sir George took up the manacles and moved toward Dorothy.

"You may all go, every cursed one of you. I rule my own house, and I will
have no rebels in it. When I have finished with this perverse wench, I'll
not wait for you to go. I'll drive you all out and you may go to--"

He was approaching Dorothy, but I stepped in front of him.

"This must not be, Sir George," said I, sternly. "I shall not leave Haddon
Hall, and I fear you not. I shall remain here to protect your daughter and
you from your own violence. You cannot put me out of Haddon Hall; I will
not go."

"Why cannot I put you out of Haddon Hail?" retorted Sir George, whose rage
by that time was frightful to behold.

"Because, sir, I am a better man and a better swordsman than you are, and
because you have not on all your estates a servant nor a retain