"Then you still intend to wed that son of Belial, overflowing with insolence and wine?" questioned the preacher bitterly; "your father's murderer."
"Mr. Lister is perfectly innocent, as I happen to know."
"Can you prove his guilt?" retorted the girl spiritedly.
"I saw him enter the Manor on that night."
"You saw a man who resembled him. Mr. Lister was in London and can prove that he was there. It is useless your using threats, Mr. Pence, for had you been able to carry them out you would long since have seen the police."
Pence frowned. "Who is this other man?" he asked.
"You can find out!" said Bella impatiently, "and I am going indoors."
"There is no other man," cried Pence angrily. "Why, I saw Mr. Lister quite clearly. I could not mistake him."
"Go to the police. You threatened to do so before. Why don't you do what you say instead of trying to frighten me with stage thunder?"
Silas stamped and raged. "You will find the thunder real enough before I have done with you. This Lister man is guilty, and shall hang. You shall become my wife, my----"
"Never! never! never!" and Bella stamped in her turn.
"You will. As you have no name of your own you should be glad to take that of an honest man."
The girl started and stared. "My name is Huxham," she said angrily.
"It is nothing of the sort. When I wished to marry you, Captain Huxham, your supposed father, told me that you were a nameless waif whom he had adopted out of charity."
"It is true! it is true!" Pence leaped the fence before she knew what was his intention, and caught her in his arms, "and you must become my wife."
"You beast! you villain!" cried the girl, struggling. "How dare----"
She got no further. Even while the words were on her lips a pair of very strong hands caught Pence by the shoulders, and wrenching him from the girl flung him over the fence. The next moment Cyril held Bella in his arms.
"Oh, my dear! my dear!" she sobbed, utterly broken down, "how glad I am that you arrived to punish him."
"I shall punish him more!" cried Cyril, striding towards the gate.
"No, no!" said Bella, stopping him. "Think of my good name. It is useless making a scandal. But ask him if what he says is true."
"What does he say?" questioned Cyril, with a note of savagery in his voice.