gly.

"Stand back," said Malcolm. "If it were not that I promised the poor
girl carrying your baby out there, I should soon--"

It was unwisely said: the earl came on the bolder. For all Malcolm could
do to parry, evade or stop his blows, he had soon taken several pretty
severe ones. Then came the voice of Lizzy in an agony from the door:
"Haud aff o' yersel', Ma'colm: I canna bide it. I gie ye back yer word."

"We'll manage yet, Lizzy," answered Malcolm, and kept warily retreating
toward a window. Suddenly he dashed his elbow through a pane, and gave a
loud shrill whistle, the same instant receiving a blow over the eye
which the blood followed. Lizzy made a rush forward, but the terror that
the father would strike the child he had disowned seized her, and she
stood trembling.

Already, however, Clementina and Rose had darted between, and, full of
rage as he was, Liftore was compelled to restrain himself. "Oh!" he
said, "if ladies want a share in the row, I must yield my place," and
drew back.

The few men-servants now came hurrying all together into the room.

"Take that rascal there and put him under the pump," said Liftore. "He
is mad."

"My fellow-servants know better than touch me," said Malcolm.

The men looked to their mistress. "Do as my lord tells you," she said,
"and instantly."

"Men," said Malcolm, "I have spared that foolish lord there for the sake
of this fisher-girl and his child, but don't one of _you_ touch me."

Stoat was a brave-enough man, and not a little jealous of Malcolm, but
he dared not obey his mistress.

And now came the tramp of many feet along the landing from the
stair-head, and the six fishermen entered, two and two.

Florimel started forward. "My brave fishermen!" she cried, "take that
bad man, MacPhail, and put him out of my grounds."

"I canna du 't, my leddy," answered their leader.

"Take Lord Liftore," said Malcolm, "and hold him while I make him
acquainted with a fact or two which he may judge of consequence to him."

The men walked straight up to the earl. He struck right and left, but
was overpowered in a moment and held fast.

"Stan' still," said Peter, "or I hae a han'fu' o' twine i' my pooch 'at
I'll jist cast a k-not aboot yer airms wi' in a jiffey."

His lordship stood still, muttering curses.

Then Malcolm stepped into the middle of the room, approaching his
sister.

"I tell you to leave the house," Florimel shrieked, beside herself with
fury, yet pa