e money?--and be as mild as
mother's milk all the time? Oh! yes, of course! I'm so devilish fond of
you and your friend! You're such nice men, you can make me do anything!
Damn all this jabber and nonsense!" roared the ruffian, passing suddenly
from insolence to fury, and striking his fist on the table. "Give me the
child at once, do you hear? Give her up, I say. I won't leave the house
till I've got her!"

Just as Mr. Jubber swore for the second time, Doctor Joyce rang the
bell. "I told you what I should do, if you used oaths in my presence
again," said the rector.

"And _I_ told _you_ I'd kill the servant, if he laid a finger on me,"
said Jubber, knocking his hat firmly on his head, and tucking up his
cuffs.

Vance appeared at the door, much less pompous than usual and displaying
an interesting paleness of complexion. Jubber spat into the palm of each
of his hands, and clenched his fists.

"Have you done dinner down stairs?" asked Doctor Joyce, reddening a
little, but still very quiet.

"Yes, sir," answered Vance, in a remarkably conciliating voice.

"Tell James to go to the constable, and say I want him; and let the
gardener wait with you outside there in the hall."

"Now," said the rector, shutting the door again after issuing these
orders, and placing himself once more face to face with Mr. Jubber. "Now
I have a last word or two to say, which I recommend you to hear quietly.
In the first place, you have no right over the child whatever; for I
happen to know that you are without a signed agreement promising you her
services. (You had better hear me out for your own sake.) You have
no legal right, I say, to control the child in any manner. She is a
perfectly free agent, so far as you are concerned.--Yes! yes! you deny
it, of course! I have only to say that, if you attempt to back that
denial by still asserting your claim to her, and making a disturbance in
my house, as sure as you stand there, I'll ruin you in Rubbleford and in
all the country round. (It's no use laughing--I can do it!) You beat the
child in the vilest manner last night. I am a magistrate; and I have my
prosecutor and my witness of the assault ready whenever I choose to call
them. I can fine or imprison you, which I please. You know the public;
you know what they think of people who ill-use helpless children. If you
appeared in that character before me, the Rubbleford paper would report
it; and, so far as the interests of your circus are conc