"I care not what she has done, I shall leave your house and disown you for my brother if you perpetrate this outrage upon my niece. She is dear to me as if she were my own child. Have I not brought her up since babyhood? If you carry out this order, brother, I will leave Haddon Hall forever." "And I'll go with her," cried old Bess, who stood at the door of the screens. "And I, too," said Dawson, who was one of the men who had entered with Sir George. "And I," cried the other man, throwing the manacles to the floor, "I will leave your service." Sir George took up the manacles and moved toward Dorothy. "You may all go, every cursed one of you. I rule my own house, and I will have no rebels in it. When I have finished with this perverse wench, I'll not wait for you to go. I'll drive you all out and you may go to--" He was approaching Dorothy, but I stepped in front of him. "This must not be, Sir George," said I, sternly. "I shall not leave Haddon Hall, and I fear you not. I shall remain here to protect your daughter and you from your own violence. You cannot put me out of Haddon Hall; I will not go." "Why cannot I put you out of Haddon Hail?" retorted Sir George, whose rage by that time was frightful to behold. "Because, sir, I am a better man and a better swordsman than you are, and because you have not on all your estates a servant nor a retainer who will not join me against you when I tell them the cause I champion." Dawson and his fellow stepped to my side significantly, and Sir George raised the iron manacles as if intending to strike me. I did not move. At the same moment Madge entered the room. "Where is my uncle?" she asked. Old Bess led her to Sir George. She spoke not a word, but placed her arms gently about his neck and drew his face down to hers. Then she kissed him softly upon the lips and said:-- "My uncle has never in all his life spoken in aught but kindness to me, and now I beg him to be kind to Dorothy." The heavy manacles fell clanking to the floor. Sir George placed his hand caressingly upon Madge's head and turned from Dorothy. [Illustration] Lady Crawford then approached her brother and put her hand upon his arm, saying:-- "Come with me, George, that I may speak to you in private." She moved toward the door by which she had entered, and Madge quietly took her uncle's hand and led him after Lady Crawford. Within five minutes Sir George, Aunt Dorothy, and Madge returned to the room. "Dorothy?" said Madge in a low voice. "Here I am, Madge," murmured Dorothy, who was sitting on the bench by the blazoned window. Madge walked gropingly over to her cousin and sat by her side, taking her hand. Then Lady Crawford spoke to Dorothy:--