452 THE BARONET'S DAUGHTER. 



his sword entered the coat of the other, and came out over the 

 shoulder. 



" A lie, a lie," shouted the baronet, " I am not wounded, look to 

 yourself." 



" A moment's pause, I entreat you," cried Willoughby, and putting 

 by the sword of the baronet, he lowered the point of his own. " Let 

 this go no further," he continued, " I arn no coward ; but let us 

 desist, and I will forget all that has occurred. One word; had you 

 not once a favourable opinion of me ?" 



" I had what then ?" said the baronet. 



" Retain it still ; and believe rne, I never wronged your daughter." 



The baronet was silent for some minutes, and with folded arms 

 stood gazing at the majestic figure and noble countenance of his 

 son-in-law. "It grieves me, Willoughby," said he, "it grieves me 

 that a brave man should have found it worth his while to be a 

 scoundrel. Why these evasions? what need of further subterfuge? 

 confess, that you have been a base and unmanly villain to your 

 wife." 



" Never," exclaimed Willoughby, " would that I could explain 

 all, but no, that must never be ;" and he shook his head mournfully. 



" We waste time, then," cried the baronet, raising his sword, 

 " her spirit cries to me for blood, for blood, and it must flow, Wil- 

 loughby," and again he pressed furiously upon his antagonist. 



" What use, then, contending with you ?" said Willoughby, " see, 

 I am wounded," and at that moment the baronet's sword entered his 

 wrist, "you thirst for my blood, you seek my life, take it," and he 

 threw down his rapier. 



The baronet sprung forward, and placed the point of his weapon 

 at the heart of Willoughby. " Die then," said he, *' or confess, I 

 give you but one minute. Confess." 



"Nothing," said the other unmoved, " you seek my life, take it." 



" And that I will do, by the God above us," cried the baronet ; 

 " confess, confess." 



" My life is at your disposal, Sir Robert," said Willoughby calmly, 

 " I have nothing to say. Take it." 



The baronet looked up and rivetted his keen dark eye upon the 

 features of his son-in-law. There was an undefinab!e expression in 

 that face, so unmoved, so serene, so tranquil, that staggered him. 

 Slowly and almost unconsciously he lowered the point of his sword, 

 and placed his hand upon the bosom of Willoughby. 



" The pulse is regular," he muttered, " the heart beats as calmly 

 as my own." He threw down his weapon and walked to the window. 

 " I cannot do it now," he said, "not now, in cold blood to shed cold 

 blood no, no another time ; not now, not now." 



" You have been deceived, Sir Robert," said Willoughby, as he 

 bound up his wrist with a handkerchief, and replaced the swords in 

 a cabinet, "but how, by whom, or in what particular, perhaps you 

 will never know. Let us forget what has just now passed." 



The baronet looked round and gazed earnestly at the speaker till 

 he had concluded. An incredulous smile passed on his lip as he 

 stepped out of the recess ; but he uttered not a word, and turning 



