ry you over the ashes of my home, out of which you have dragged me
and my poor old uncle. I hate you, I tell you, and I will not marry you!
I had rather marry a Kafir than marry you, Frank Muller, however great
you may be."

He smiled. "Is it because of the Englishman Niel that you will not marry
me? He is dead. It is useless to cling to a dead man."

"Dead or alive, I love him with all my heart, and if he is dead it is at
the hands of your people, and his blood rises up between us."

"His blood has sunk down into the sand. He is dead, and I am glad that
he is dead. Once more, is that your last word?"

"It is."

"Very good. Then I tell you that you shall marry me or----"

"Or what?"

"Or your uncle, the old man you love so much, shall _die!_"

"What do you mean?" she said in a choked voice.

"What I say; no more and no less. Do you think that I will let one old
man's life stand between me and my desire? Never. If you will not marry
me, Silas Croft shall be put upon his trial for attempted murder and for
treason within an hour from this. Within an hour and a half he shall
be condemned to die, and to-morrow at dawn he shall be shot, by warrant
under my hand. I am commandant here, with power of life and death, and
I tell you that he shall certainly die--and his blood will be on your
head."

Bessie grasped at the tree for support. "You dare not," she said; "you
dare not murder an innocent old man."

"Dare not!" he answered; "you must understand me very ill, Bessie Croft,
when you talk of what I dare not do for you. There is nothing," he
added, with a thrill of his rich voice, "that I dare not do to gain you.
Listen: promise to marry me to-morrow morning. I will bring a clergyman
here from Wakkerstroom, and your uncle shall go free as air, though he
is a traitor to the land, and though he has tried to shoot a burgher
after the declaration of peace. Refuse, and he dies. Choose now."

"I have chosen," she answered with passion. "Frank Muller, perjured
traitor--yes, murderer that you are, I will _not_ marry you."

"Very good, very good, Bessie; as you will. But now one more thing. You
shall not say that I have not warned you. If you persist in this your
uncle shall die, but you shall not escape me. You will not marry me?
Well, even in this country, where I can do most things, I cannot force
you to do that. But I can force you to be my wife in all but the name,
without marriage; and this, when your uncle is stiff