“There now, by my troth, I like that!  I wouldn’t give a cent for a girl that had no spirit about her.  If you keep on at such a rate, I shall be more madly in love with you than ever!  Come, be a good girl, and give us a little more of that kind of spice!”

“You like it, do you?  Very well, I will change the key a little then, just a little, and let you have a peep at yourself.  You pretend to entertain sentiments of regard for me; but you know, and I know also, that it is my father’s wealth of which you are enamored.”

“No, I swear to you, I love you!”

“And I know that is a false oath.  You base hypocrite! do you think for a moment that I cannot and do not see through your flimsy gauze of deception?  I can read your guilty soul as a book; I know your motives, and I know that a pure, generous, or noble sentiment never had a lodgment in your breast.  You are base, corrupt, cowardly and unmanly in every sense of the word.  There is not a redeeming trait in your character.  You are false to your friends, you cajole your enemies, and prey upon community.  You know this is a true picture of yourself, only that ‘the half has not been told;’ and yet you have the unblushing audacity to talk to me of love!”

“Yes; and what is more, I am going to wed you.”

“Sir! never dare to utter such a word in my presence again!”

“Ha, ha, ha!  That is rich, any how!  Ha, ha!  A weak prisoner to dare a mighty captor in that way!  You certainly must forget where you are, my pretty little defiant beauty!  Why I could just as easily compel a compliance with my wishes, as make you a listener to my discourse.”

“Not quite, sir; you might possibly find yourself slightly mistaken should you attempt too much, and I give you fair warning to beware what you do!”

“Ha, ha, ha!  Why, my love, I could conquer you with one hand.”

“You had better not try it, sir!”

“I certainly would make an effort had I not already allowed you a week to make up your mind.  But to show you how completely you are in my power, I will just plant a kiss on your ruby lips—­”

“Never, sir; never!” said she, with flashing eye.  “Dare to touch me with your polluted hand, and you die on the spot!”

“Ha! what’s that I hear?  Talk of killing, do you?  Well, we shall see.”

And he took a step toward her, with the intention of carrying out his threat.

“Stop, sir!” she said; and there was that in the tone of her voice which arrested him as suddenly as would a bar of iron interposed across his way.  “Know,” she continued, “that lips polluted as yours are can never come in contact with mine!  I would sooner press mine to the slimy carcass of a decaying animal, than permit them even to touch yours! and I would far rather inhale the atmosphere from putrid flesh, aye, from the vilest carrion, than that your foul breath should enter my nostrils!  This, sir, will give a faint idea of the utter detestation, the inexpressible loathing, I feel for you.”