Alice,--though he should do worse than that, still she
would fight him. Her blood was the same as his, and he should know
that her courage was, at any rate, as high.

And, indeed, when she looked at him, she had cause to fear. He
intended that she should fear. He intended that she should dread what
he might do to her at that moment. As to what he would do he had no
resolve made. Neither had he resolved on anything when he had gone to
Alice and had shaken her rudely as she sat beside him. He had been
guided by no fixed intent when he had attacked John Grey, or when
he insulted the attorney; but a Fury was driving him, and he was
conscious of being so driven. He almost wished to be driven to some
act of frenzy. Everything in the world had gone against him, and he
desired to expend his rage on some one.

"Kate," said he, stopping her, "we will have this out here, if you
please. So much, at any rate, shall be settled to-day. You have made
many promises to me, and I have believed them. You can now keep them
all, by simply saying what you know to be the truth,--that that old
man was a drivelling idiot when he made this will. Are you prepared
to do me that justice? Think before you answer me, for, by G----, if
I cannot have justice among you, I will have revenge." And he put his
hand upon her breast up near to her throat.

"Take your hand down, George," said she. "I'm not such a fool that
you can frighten me in that way."

"Answer me!" he said, and shook her, having some part of her raiment
within his clutch.

"Oh, George, that I should live to be so ashamed of my brother!"

"Answer me," he said again; and again he shook her.

"I have answered you. I will say nothing of the kind that you want
me to say. My grandfather, up to the latest moment that I saw him,
knew what he was about. He was not an idiot. He was, I believe, only
carrying out a purpose fixed long before. You will not make me change
what I say by looking at me like that, nor get it by shaking me.
You don't know me, George, if you think you can frighten me like a
child."

He heard her to the last word, still keeping his hand upon her, and
holding her by the cloak she wore; but the violence of his grasp had
relaxed itself, and he let her finish her words, as though his object
had simply been to make her speak out to him what she had to say.
"Oh," said he, when she had done, "That's to be it; is it? That's
your idea of honesty. The very name of the money bei