450 THE BARONET'S DAUGHTER. 



" Lie," said the baronet gently, leaning forward, " ifbelief, Mr. 

 Willoughby, were always to attend and to wait upon deceit 'twere a 

 rare world for the villains. One word more with you : my daughter 

 confessed to me, I wrung it from her, I would know it, that your 

 conduct towards her had been unkind, harsh, cruel, brutal." 



The young man started and turned deadly pale. " Did she say 

 so? did Marian tell you this '" and as he averted his face, a violent 

 agitation appeared to shake his frame. " No, no, no, Sir Robert, I 

 was never unkind, never harsh, never cruel, never, until, until the " 



" Ha !" cried the baronet triumphantly, " do you confess? until the 

 what? until when? what do you mean?" 



" Nothing," said Willoughby, " it is past." 



" It is not past, Sir, it is not past," exclaimed Sir Robert ; *' look 

 you, evasion is useless, you cannot deceive me, I know all." 



" Know all, gracious God '." gasped Willoughby, " you cannot 

 know it; she never, surely, told you. What do you know?" 



" Enough for my present purpose," replied the baronet ; " I know 

 this, Willoughby, that you have murdered, for that is the word, the 

 gentlest and the best creature that ever breathed." 



" Oh God ! oh God ! do not urge me further," cried Willoughby, 

 burying his face in his hands ; " let me go, let me depart, or hear 

 the business upon which I came." 



" Not a word, not a word," said the baronet solemnly, "till this 

 matter be explained. Willoughby, your father was my friend ; your 

 mother was dear to my wife ; I loved, respected, revered them 

 both. For their sakes I am thus lenient towards you." 



" No more," groaned Willoughby, " no more, Sir Robert, I beseech 

 you; let this subject drop; it will be better; it may be safer, sus- 

 pend your judgment." 



"Suspend my judgment, ha! ha!" cried Sir Robert contemptu- 

 ously, " where shall 1 suspend it? in the park yonder, I suppose, to 

 scare the crows with; but this is trifling. In one word, tell me, out 

 with it, acknowledge it like a shameless villain, wherefore your 

 treatment of your wife, why your prolonged absence from her?" 



" I cannot tell you," cried Willoughby, " indeed I cannot, there 

 were reasons, strong, strong, which you must never know." 



" But which I will know," said the baronet doggedly. 



" You cannot, you must not." 



" I must. Will you satisfy me?" 



" No, no, no, I cannot, T must not, I will not." 



"Will not, is somewhat peremptory," cried the baronet ; "again 

 I ask you, will you satisfy me ?" 



" No, I will not." 



" Once more, the third, the last time, will you satisfy me ?" 



" I will not." 



" Enough," exclaimed the baronet, as he struck his hands upon his 

 knees, and sprung to his feet. " This place is cold, Sir, we must 

 take a little exercise to keep our blood in circulation," and as he 

 said this, he proceeded to the extreme end of the gallery, and opened 

 a large and ancient cabinet. " There never yet," said he, as he 

 flung aside the doors, " there never yet, Willoughby, lived the man 



