at pious sneak, that deadly foe to me?"

"Unhand me, sir!"

"Not yet," he answered, tightening his grasp, and at the same time taking
a pistol from his pocket. "I swear you shall never marry that man: promise
me on your oath that you'll not, or--I'll shoot you through the heart; the
heart that's turned false to me. D'ye hear," and he held the muzzle of his
piece within a foot of her breast.

Every trace of color fled from her face, but she stood like a marble
statue, without speech or motion of a muscle, her eyes looking straight
into his with firm defiance.

"Do you hear?" he repeated, in a tone of exasperation, "speak! promise
that you'll never marry Travilla, or I'll shoot you in three
minutes--shoot you down dead on the spot, if I swing for it before night."

"That will be as God pleases," she answered low and reverently; "you can
have no power at all against me except it be given you from above."

"I can't, hey? looks like it; I've only to touch the trigger here, and
your soul's out o' your body. Better promise than die."

Still she stood looking him unflinchingly in the eye; not a muscle moving,
no sign of fear except that deadly pallor.

"Well," lowering his piece, "you're a brave girl, and I haven't the heart
to do it," he exclaimed in admiration. "I'll give up that promise; on
condition that you make another--that you'll keep all this a secret for
twenty-four hours, so I can make my escape from the neighborhood before
they get after me with their bloodhounds."

"That I promise, if you will be gone at once."

"You'll not say a word to any one of having seen me, or suspecting I'm
about here?"

"Not a word until the twenty-four hours are over."

"Then good-bye. Your pluck has saved your life; but remember, I've not
said I won't shoot him or your father, if chance throws them in my way,"
he added, looking back over his shoulder with a malicious leer, as he left
the arbor, then disappearing from sight among the trees and shrubbery
beyond.

Elsie's knees shook and trembled under her; she sank back into her seat,
covering her face and bowing her head upon her lap, while she sent up
silent, almost agonizing petitions for the safety of those two so
inexpressibly dear to her. Some moments passed thus, then she rose and
hastened, with a quick nervous step, to the house. She entered her
boudoir, and lay down upon a couch trembling in every fibre, every nerve
quivering with excitement. The shock had been terr