is your trade; and double dastard you must be, or you were not
here today. Hard words will not move me, nor would hard blows. Here I
stand, and will, till I have done my errand.'

'Girl!' said Ralph, 'retire! We can use force to him, but I would not
hurt you if I could help it. Retire, you weak and silly wench, and leave
this dog to be dealt with as he deserves.'

'I will not retire,' cried Kate, with flashing eyes and the red blood
mantling in her cheeks. 'You will do him no hurt that he will not repay.
You may use force with me; I think you will, for I AM a girl, and that
would well become you. But if I have a girl's weakness, I have a woman's
heart, and it is not you who in a cause like this can turn that from its
purpose.'

'And what may your purpose be, most lofty lady?' said Ralph.

'To offer to the unhappy subject of your treachery, at this last
moment,' replied Nicholas, 'a refuge and a home. If the near prospect
of such a husband as you have provided will not prevail upon her, I hope
she may be moved by the prayers and entreaties of one of her own sex.
At all events they shall be tried. I myself, avowing to her father from
whom I come and by whom I am commissioned, will render it an act of
greater baseness, meanness, and cruelty in him if he still dares to
force this marriage on. Here I wait to see him and his daughter. For
this I came and brought my sister even into your presence. Our purpose
is not to see or speak with you; therefore to you we stoop to say no
more.'

'Indeed!' said Ralph. 'You persist in remaining here, ma'am, do you?'

His niece's bosom heaved with the indignant excitement into which he had
lashed her, but she gave him no reply.

'Now, Gride, see here,' said Ralph. 'This fellow--I grieve to say my
brother's son: a reprobate and profligate, stained with every mean
and selfish crime--this fellow, coming here today to disturb a solemn
ceremony, and knowing that the consequence of his presenting himself in
another man's house at such a time, and persisting in remaining there,
must be his being kicked into the streets and dragged through them like
the vagabond he is--this fellow, mark you, brings with him his sister
as a protection, thinking we would not expose a silly girl to the
degradation and indignity which is no novelty to him; and, even after
I have warned her of what must ensue, he still keeps her by him, as
you see, and clings to her apron-strings like a cowardly boy to his
moth