ive me. I will never again deceive you so long as I live."

Truly the fate of an overoath is that it shall be broken. When one swears
to do too much, one performs too little.

I helped Sir George rise to his feet.

Dorothy, full of tenderness and in tears, tried to take his hand, but he
repulsed her rudely, and uttering terrible oaths coupled with her name
quitted the room with tottering steps.

When her father had gone Dorothy stood in revery for a little time, and
then looking toward the door through which her father had just passed, she
spoke as if to herself: "He does not know. How fortunate!"

"But you said you would tell him," I suggested. "You said you would give
him up."

Dorothy was in a deep revery. She took her bodice from the floor and
mechanically put it on.

"I know I said I would tell my father, and I offered to give--give him
up," she replied; "but I will do neither. Father would not meet my love
with love. He would not forgive me, nor would he accept my repentance when
it was he who should have repented. I was alarmed and grieved for father's
sake when I said that I would tell him about--about John, and would give
him up." She was silent and thoughtful for a little time. "Give him up?"
she cried defiantly. "No, not for my soul; not for ten thousand thousand
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 the second
time. Malcolm, I will not remain here to be the victim of another insult
such as my father put upon me to-day. There is no law, human or divine,
that gives to a parent the right to treat his daughter as my father has
used me. Before this day my conscience smote me when I deceived him, and I
suffered pain if I but thought of my father. But now, thanks to his
cruelty, I may be happy without remorse. Malcolm, if you betray me, I
will--I will kill you if I must follow you over the world to do it."

"Do you think that I deserve that threat from you, Dorothy?" I asked.

"No, no, my dear friend, forgive me. I trust you," and she caught up my