Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall

ut after her adroit conversation with him concerning the Stanley marriage, wherein she neither promised nor refused, and after she learned that she could mo

ame events crowding so rapidly one upon the heels of another that I scarce know where to begin the telling of them. I shall not stop to say, "Sir George told me this," or "Madge, Dorothy, or John told me

warmth of springtide. So warm and genial was the weather that the trees, flowers, and shrubs were cozened into budding forth. The buds were withered by a killing frost w

her for several hours. That night at supper, after the ladies had risen from table, Sir George dismissed the servants saying that he wished t

Doll's hand in marriage with his eldest son and heir,

-that it did not lie within the power of any man in or out of England to dispose of Dorothy Vernon's hand in

marriage contract have been agreed upon by the

ing in the matter?

his father tells me, for the union. He is coming to see her when I give my permission, and I will send him word at as early a date as propriety will admit. I must not let them be seen together too soon, you know. There might be a hitch in the marriage negoti

of toddy and winked knowingly at m

old Dorothy

r of the pending negotiations, because I wished to prepare her for the signing of the contract; and also, by gad, Malcolm, I wanted to make the girl understand at the outset that I will have no trifling with my commands in this matt

ell knowing that even if she had consented in

ned Sir George

ulate you,

Doll is growing dangerous. I'gad, the other day I thought she was a child, but suddenly I learn she is a woman. I had not before noticed the change. Beauty and wilfulness, such as the girl has of late developed, are powers not to be underestimated by wise men. There is hell in them, Malcolm, I tell you there is hell in them." Sir George meditatively snuffed the candle with his fingers and continue

now-and now-she is-she is-Why the devil didn't you take her, Malcolm?" cried the old man, awakening. "But

Earl of Derby?" I asked.

d. "I hear he is rather

r, drunken clown, whose associates have always been stable

u won't have Doll yourself, and you won't consent to another-damme, would

I replied hastily. "I have not a word

you, sir,

consult me about the a

idn't wish to consult you. I simply wanted to tell you of the projected marriage." Then after a moment of

runk, and drink made a demon of this man, whose violence wh

back from the table with a startled movement. Dorothy sprang to her feet, her eyes flashing fire and her breast rising and falling like the storm-wrought pulsing of the sea. I coughed warningly and placed my finger on my lips, making the sign of silence to Dorothy. The girl made a wondrous and beautiful struggle against her wrath, and in a moment all signs of ill-temper disappeared, and her face took on an expression of sweet meekness which did not

y. He had been drinking heavily during th

answered Madge. "She said

aid Sir George, speaking to one of the se

soon returned, saying that Mi

er or not. Tell her I will put a stop to her moping a

ssage by a servant,"

yourself, Dorothy," e

er aunt and meekly took

and pouting," said Sir George,

no reply, but

father commanded. "I te

f I am not hungry, would you

hungry, you pe

l from human lips. They betokened a mood in which one could easily do murder in col

petite for you, fool

make me eat," r

d you, you brazen, insolent hu

sounded like the clear, low ring of steel as I have heard it in the stillness of sunrise durin

oom," answere

is marriage which you have sought for me; and your harshness, father, grows out of your effort to re

d, and, thank God, I shall soon be rid of you. I'll place you in the hands of one who will break your damnable will and curb your vixenish temper." Then he turned to Lady Crawfor

t the storm coming and clutched her by the arm in an

-like tones, full of contempt and disdain. "Ma

elf," retorted Sir

come from Holy Writ. I will open the veins in this arm and will strew my blood in a gapless circle around Haddon Hall so that you shall tread upon it whenever you go forth into the day or into the night before I will marry the drunken idiot

room, softly humming the refrain of a roundelay. There was no trace of excitement about the girl. Her brain was acting with the ease and precision

as quickly finished, and

ts put him to bed. I slipped away from him and smoked a pipe in fr

and tears came to her eyes as she drew the priceless treasure from her breast and breathed upon it a prayer to the God of love for help. Her heart was soft again, soft only as

words yesterday? How many have found them to-day? How many will find them to-morrow? No one can tell; but this I k

of the projected Stanley marriage. It asked him to meet the writ

a duel would make public all he wished to conceal. He wished to conceal, among other things, his presence at Rutland. He had two reasons for so desiring. First in point of time was the urgent purpose with which he had come to Derbyshire. That purpose was to further a plan for the rescue of Mary Stuart and to bring her incognito to Rutland Ca

was soon to possess the girl he loved. Then life held but one purpose for him. Thus, you see that when Dorothy was moaning, "My love, my love," and was kissing the golden heart, she was taking a great deal for granted. Perhaps, however, she better understood John's feeling for her than did he himself. A woman's sixth sense, intuition, is a great help to her in such cases. Perhaps the girl knew with intuitive confidence that her passion was returned; and perhaps at first she found John's receptive mode of wooing sweeter far than an aggressive attack would have been. It may be also there was more of the serpent's cunning than of reticence in John's conduct. He knew well the ways of women, and perhaps he realized that if he would allow Dorothy to manage the entire affair she would do h

om Haddon Hall a distance of the fourth part of a mile, and the gate is east of the hill about the same distance or less. A wall is built upon the east line of the Haddon estate, and east of the wall lies a great trackless forest belonging to the house of Devonshire. In olden times t

ime to time the fact that it could not be found was spoken of as curious. All the servants had been questioned in vain, and the lo

Dorothy had gone out to seek John. The sun shone brightly, and its gentle warmth enticed me to remain upon the tower battlements, to muse, and to dream. I fetched my pipe and tobacco from my room. I had been smoking at intervals for several months, but had not entirely learned to like the weed, because of a slight nausea which it invariably caused me to feel. But I thought by practice now and again to inure myself to the habit, which was then so new and fashionabl

eady solace in time of trouble. At the end of an hour my dreaming was disturbed by voices, which came distinctly up to me from the base of the tower. I leaned over the battlements to listen, and what I heard gave me alarm an

by Bowling Green Gate, now. I saw them twenty

y cousin. I drew back from the battlements, and th

conscience. Still, we must remember that, forty years ago, girls were frequently forced, regardless of cries and piteous agony, into marriages to which death would have been preferable. They were flogged into obedience, imprisoned and starved into obedience, and alas! they were sometimes killed in the course of punishment for disobedience by men of Sir George's school and temper. I could give you at least one instance in which a fair girl met her death from punishment inflicted by her father because she would not consent to wed the man of his choice. Can we blame Dorothy if she would lie or rob or do murder to avoid a fate which to her would have been worse than death? When you find yourself condemning her, now or hereafter in this history, if you are a man ask yourself t

man's story, he started hurrie

orothy's adventures after

the gate, John wa

fflicted or blessed was plainly discernible since the last meeting with my friend, Sir John. That is, it would have been plain to any one but John, whose ailment had taken a fatal turn and had progressed to the ante-mortem state of blindness. By the help of the stimulating hope and fear wh

Vernon, and I thank you. I was-I am-that is

d confusion because she wished him to see the truth in her as she had seen it in him. She well knew of his blindness, and had almost begun to fear lest she would eventually be compelled to tell him in words that which she so ardently wished him to see for himself. She thought John was the blindest of his sex; but she was, to a certain extent, mistaken. John was blind, as you already know, but hi

he girl, laughing because she was happy, tho

the engagement. "But I feared you might not want to come." The cunning, the boldness, and the humility of the serpent was in the girl. "That is, you know,

joy. Here, truly, was a goddess who could make th

sked Dorothy, whose face, as it should have been after such a speech, was bent low

speak had come. "There has been no change in me other than a new access of ea

ough her breast, and she knew that t

dly conscious of her words, so great was the jo

nd I might not have known it, for, you see, I did not know your former state of mind; you have never told me." Her tongue h

st it told you of my intention to come. I-I

r conflict with the entangled key, "I mean that-that you don't know what I mean. But

e with an air that seemed to say, "No

lock had been removed. That discovery b

self, but I would not bring upon you the trouble and distress which would surely follow discovery. Let us quickly choose another place and time of meeting. I pray you, sweet

ssing it, started to lea

I know all, and I long to hear from your lips the words that will break down all barriers between us." She had been carried away b

ve you, I love you! God Himself only knows how deeply, how passionately! I do not know. I cannot fathom its depths. With all my heart and

breast for shame, that he might not see her burning eyes and her scarlet cheeks. Then after a time she cared not what he saw, and s

ou will be my wife. Tell

, oh, how gladl

marry Lord Stanley. Tell me that you will marry n

t would kill me. I wear the golden heart you gave me, John," she continued, as she nestled closer in his embrace. "I wear the golden heart always. It is never from me, even for one little moment. I bear it always upon my heart, John. Here it is." She drew from her breast the go

ear or doubt. John forgot the lockless gate. He forgot everything but Dorothy, and cruel time passed with a rapidity of which they were unconscious.

ckly assumed an attitude of listless repose, and Dolcy, who was nibbling at the grass near by, doubtless supposed that

owling Green Hill. In a few minutes he was standing in front of his daughter, red with anger. Dorothy's face wore a look of calm innocence, which I believe would have de

you?" demanded Si

e girl, listlessly resting

Shaw said that a man was here. He said that he

in her manner or in her voice. She turned listlessly and brushed a dry leaf from her gown

elf she said, "Ben

d," said Sir George. "I, mysel

irl into close quarters

lessness in her manner, but with a feeling of excruciating fear in

hward," answe

inning again to breathe freely, for s

ppose I could see him through the stone wall? One should be

much brandy, my dear father. Oh, wouldn't it be dreadful if you were to lose your mind?" She rose as she spoke, and going to her father began to stroke him

hink it must be coming to pass. A great change has of late come over you, father. You have for the first time in your life been unkind to me and suspicious. Father, do you

ng, "Ben Shaw said that he saw you here with a man, and I saw a man

ed the crest of Bowling Green Hill. But it was evident that Shaw had seen John. Evidence that a man had been at the gate was too strong to be successfully contradicted. Facts that cannot be successfully

"He passed here a little time since and stopped for a moment to talk. Perhaps you sa

Sir George, hesitatingly, "

anding erect at her full height (it pains me to tell yo

thlike that Sir Georg

"I beli

her keenly; but not to the point

father should put to me. She took Dolcy's rein, and leading the mare with one hand while she rested the other up

ways full of la

eamily watching the huge fire wh

ir George in a peculiar tone of surp

t you wer

my lips and said, "No, I am helpi

een walking?" a

hands, her feet, her whole body were convulsed in an effort to express something which, for the life of me, I could not understand. Her wonderful eyes wore an expression, only too readable, of terror and pleading. She moved her hands rapidly and stamped her foot. During this pantomime she was forming words with her lips and

are you making those grim

-I-I think I was about to

to tell Malcolm to say that he was with you at Bowling Green Gate. Losing my mind, am I? Dam

not betray her. She knew that I, whose only virtues were that I loved my friend and despised a lie, would willingly bear false witness for her sake. She was right. I had caught the truth of the situation from Sir George, and I quickly determined to perjure my soul, if need be, to help Dorothy. I cannot describe the influence this girl at times exerted over me. When under its spell I seemed to b

uttering the lie I was willing to tell; for, in place of asking me, as his daughter had desired, Si

ket. Her manner was that of one almost bereft of consciousness by sudden fright, and an expression of helplessness came over her face which filled my h

m the room, but her father caught her by the wrist and violently drew her to him. "Bring it out, huzzy; it's the key to Bowling Green Gate. Ah, I've

e rent Sir George had made in the gown. He divined the truth as if by inspiration. The note, he felt sure, was from Dorothy's unknown lover. He did not move nor speak for a time, and she stood as if paralyzed by fear. She slowly turned her face from her father to me, and in a low tone spoke my name, "Malcolm." Her voice was har

him frantically, not to be thrown off, and succeeded in clutching the letter. Sir George violently thrust her from him. In the scuffle that ensued the letter was torn, and the lower portion of the sheet remained in Dorothy's hand. She ran to the fireplace, intending to thrust the

glorious bust rose and fell piteously, and her wondrous eyes dilated and shone with a marvellous light. The expression was the output of her godlike vitality, strung to its greatest tension. Her face was pale, but terror dominated all the emotions it expressed. Her fear, however, was not for herself. The girl, who would have snapped her fingers at death, saw in the discovery which her

ried in rage. "It containe

," answered Dorothy, who was comparatively calm now that she knew her father could not discover John's name. I bel

nswer, and Sir George continued "I now understand how you came by the golden heart. You lied to me and told me tha

he masterful love that had come upon her. I truly believe that prior to the time of her meeting with Manners she had never spoken an untruth, nor since that time I also believe, except when driven to do so by the same motive. Dorothy was not a thief, but I am sure she would have stolen for the sake of her lover. She was gentle and tender to

ove," say

ore," as the mathematician would say, "love is the u

anding open-eyed abo

ay by the stone steps to the screens, and from the screens to the

r's furious attack gave her time in

s daughter, and with oath upon oath demanded to know the name of her lover. Dorothy stood lo

," he cried, holding toward her the fragment of paper. "Tell me his name or, I swear it before God, I swear it upon my

was herself again. Now it was

his for his sake." Out of her love came fort

the girl tore her bodice from her shoulders.

nhood that I will not tell you the name of the man who wrote the letter. I love him, and before I will tell you his name or forego his love for me, or before I wil

move. I was deeply affected by the terrible scene, and I determined to prevent the flogging if to do so should cost Sir

. Surely you would not be forsworn before God and upon your knighthood. A forsworn Christ

the door. Her face was turned backward over her shoulder to her fa

eld forth his arms toward her and in a wail of agony c

oment as the tree trembles before the fall, and he fell prone to

her lap. She covered his face with her kisses, and while the tears st

I will see him never again. I will try not to love him. Oh, father, for

it shall be broken. When one swears to

George rise

hand, but he repulsed her rudely, and uttering terrible oath

and then looking toward the door through which her father had just p

l him," I suggested. "You s

She took her bodice from the f

d souls. When my father refused my love, he threw away the only opportunity he shall ever have to learn from me John's name. That I swear, and I shall never be forsworn. I asked father's forgiveness when he should have begged for mine. Whip me in the courtyard, would he, till I should bleed! Yet I was willing to forgive him, and he would not accept my forgiveness. I was willing to forego John, who is more than life to me; but my father would not accept my sacrifice. Truly will I never be so great a fool

serve that threat from

me. I trust you," and she caugh

nquet hail, seated upon the ston

ir 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

ders for Dorothy's confinement in the dungeon. I could not believe Bes

that do not concern you," r

and if you send Doll to the dungeon, Madge and I will le

obeyed me and has

etrate this outrage upon my niece. She is dear to me as if she were my own child. Have I not brou

ried old Bess, who stood

who was one of the men who

hrowing the manacles to the flo

the manacles and mo

ll have no rebels in it. When I have finished with this perverse wench,

Dorothy, but I step

ll, and I fear you not. I shall remain here to protect your daughter and you

ail?" retorted Sir George, whose rage

and because you have not on all your estates a servant nor a retainer

ir George raised the iron manacles as if intending to strike

my uncle?"

laced her arms gently about his neck and drew his face down

poken in aught but kindness to me, an

oor. Sir George placed his hand caressingl

ed her brother and put her

ge, that I may spea

ly took her uncle's hand and led him after Lady Crawford. Within fi

aid Madge in

the blazoned window. Madge walked gropingly over to her cousin and s

is consent. He also insists that I say to you if you make resistance or objection to this decree, or if you attempt to escape, h

Sir George, directing his

it the corner of her lip, shru

greatest happiness. If you consult my wishes, you will have me whipped in the courtyard till I bleed. I should

ather my word of honor that I will guard you and will keep you prisoner in your rooms. Do you not pity me? I gave

I shall not help you in your good work by making choice. You shall choose my pla

ut Sir George did not finish the sentence. He hurriedly left the h