Elsie's raised hand, with which she had been pointing the revolver at Henderson's throat, fell at these words, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. "Let it be so then," she said, in a strange, weary tone. The strain had been so great; the struggle was over. Her arm dropped; her head fell on her breast. But in a moment--in this moment of weakness--the coward before her sprang upon her, grasping her arm, and wrenched the revolver from her grasp. He did it so quickly that Elsie had not time to resist, nor to realize his action. He held the revolver in the air; he gave a brutal laugh of triumph. "Now," he cried, "will you shoot me now? So you were going to force me to marry you, were you, by your silly threats? But I won't, there; do you hear, I won't!" He almost shouted the last words, and they fell on the ears of a woman stunned with misery. "What!" she gasped forth. "What!" "I'm not going to be bullied into doing anything I don't mean to do by your tragedy airs," continued Henderson, his passions rising as he spoke. "I've made you a fair offer; most of women would consider it a handsome offer, but you're a fool." She looked in his face with a stony look of despair. "Do you mean to go back from what you promised?" she said. "I never promised! Once for all, Elsie, make the best of the situation; take my money, and go away." "Coward!" She hissed out this word with bitter emphasis. She stood there facing him pale to the very lips. Henderson held the revolver high in his strong hand, and she knew she could not reach it. He had robbed her of her weapon, but he had not conquered her soul. "You have lied then," she said, with concentrated scorn, "as you have done a thousand times. I might have known! But for all that you shall not marry Miss Churchill. I will go to her to-morrow, and tell her the whole story; tell her what you are, and how you have treated me, and I will tell my father." "You will do this?" cried Henderson, in sudden fury. "You never shall!" "I will do it," repeated Elsie, doggedly. "I swear you shall not live to do it!" "I will!" again said Elsie. "Then I'll shoot you dead before you do it!" cried Henderson, fiercely, pointing the revolver at Elsie as he spoke. The woman did not flinch as the man had done. Perhaps she felt that all her life was ended that was worth living for. At all events she did not swerve. "Swear that you will not go near Miss Churchill; that you will never tell your father anything of what has been between us," continued Henderson, still pointing the revolver at Elsie's head, "or by the heavens above us I'll shoot you!" "I will tell my father to-night; I will see Miss Churchill to-morrow."