tively raised her hand to her cheek—his neighbourhood revived a painful sensation. Anybody else would have been incapable of regarding the childish act with sternness, but he scowled on her, and muttered—
"Oh, you are not afraid of me? Your courage is well disguised—you seem damnably afraid!"
"I am afraid now," she replied; "because if I stay, papa will be miserable; and how can I endure making him miserable—when he—when he—Mr. Heathcliff, let me go home! I promise to marry Linton—papa would like me to, and I love him—and why should you wish to force me to do what I'll willingly do of myself?"
"Let him dare to force you!" I cried. "There's law in the land, thank God, there is! though we be in an out-of-the-way place. I'd inform, if he were my own son, and it's felony without benefit of clergy!"
"Silence!" said the ruffian. "To the
