Her audacity fairly stunned him. He fell back a pace as he said: "What--terms?" "First, you are to agree to resign the guardianship of my property. Second, you are to leave Oakley forthwith and forever, and to keep ever and always away from me and all that is mine." "Bah!" he cried, angrily, "do you think I am a fool? I won't resign my guardianship; the property is _mine_, not yours!" "Then I will choose a new guardian immediately. How ignorant of law you are, step-papa! Don't you know that you are legally _dead_? Don't you know that a lunatic can't hold property? Legally, I can choose a guardian to-morrow." "You she-devil! But I am not a lunatic!" sneered he. "How obtuse you are, step-papa! You _are_ a lunatic; we have the certificates of two physicians to that effect; and that is all the law requires. Now, be reasonable; what can you do?" "I'll get out, by heavens," he yelled; "and I'll put you in State's prison for false imprisonment!" She turned upon him with the utmost composure. "My dear sir, you have not one witness to prove that you are a sane man. There are many to prove that you have been subject to violent fits of madness." She turned again, and he, no longer seeking to control his rage, sprang toward her, uttering a volley of curses. During their entire interview, Henry had stood like a sentinel at the outer door of the ante-room, while that leading into the chamber of the prisoner stood wide open. At the first accent of rage, he darted forward; and as the girl sprang away from her step-father, that gentleman felt himself seized and hurled with scant ceremony to the middle of the room. "Don't you try that, sir!" cried Henry, in high wrath. "You won't find me a friend, if you do." "So," panted the old man, "this is one of your hirelings, is it? And pray, sir, what is this young fiend to pay you for your services?" "That's my affair," responded the man, coolly. "You can't buy me off; and if you try that game again, you will get yourself into a straight jacket." Madeline laughed, and said: "There, Henry, you need not be alarmed for me. But when you report this attack to the doctor, tell him that I think he had better take measures to secure his safety and yours, in case your patient should be again seized with a fit of violence." John Arthur immediately saw that he had damaged his own cause. "You had better sleep upon my proposition, Mr. Arthur," said Madeline, from the threshold. "If you pine for liberty, send for me. And don't think, for a moment, that I shall allow you to go free without taking the necessary precautions to insure myself against any trouble you might desire to make me. Adieu, Mr. Arthur." And she swept from the room.