f you have none."

"What would you have had me do?"

"Taken him by the throat," said Lizzie.

"Taking by the throat in these days seldom forwards any
object,--unless the taken one be known to the police. I think Lord
Fawn is behaving very badly, and I have told him so. No doubt he is
under the influence of others,--mother and sisters,--who are not
friendly to you."

"False-faced idiots!" said Lizzie.

"He himself is somewhat afraid of me,--is much afraid of you;--is
afraid of what people will say of him; and,--to give him his due,--is
afraid also of doing what is wrong. He is timid, weak, conscientious,
and wretched. If you have set your heart upon marrying him--"

"My heart!" said Lizzie scornfully.

"Or your mind,--you can have him by simply sending the diamonds to
the jewellers. Whatever may be his wishes, in that case he will
redeem his word."

"Not for him or all that belongs to him! It wouldn't be much. He's
just a pauper with a name."

"Then your loss will be so much the less."

"But what right has he to treat me so? Did you ever before hear
of such a thing? Why is he to be allowed to go back,--without
punishment,--more than another?"

"What punishment would you wish?"

"That he should be beaten within an inch of his life;--and if the
inch were not there, I should not complain."

"And I am to do it,--to my absolute ruin, and to your great injury?"

"I think I could almost do it myself." And Lizzie raised her hand
as though there were some weapon in it. "But, Frank, there must be
something. You wouldn't have me sit down and bear it. All the world
has been told of the engagement. There must be some punishment."

"You would not wish to have an action brought,--for breach of
promise?"

"I would wish to do whatever would hurt him most,--without hurting
myself," said Lizzie.

"You won't give up the necklace?" said Frank.

"Certainly not," said Lizzie. "Give it up for his sake,--a man that I
have always despised?"

"Then you had better let him go."

"I will not let him go. What,--to be pointed at as the woman that
Lord Fawn had jilted? Never! My necklace should be nothing more to
him than this ring." And she drew from her finger a little circlet of
gold with a stone, for which she had owed Messrs. Harter and Benjamin
five-and-thirty pounds till Sir Florian had settled that account for
her. "What cause can he give for such treatment?"

"He acknowledges that there is no cause which he can stat