“What do you mean?” he said sternly, advancing a step and looking down menacingly at her with his hand on the back of his chair.
“I have said what I mean,” replied Marian with dignity. But she rose quickly as soon as she had spoken, and got past him into the drawing-room. He followed her; and she turned and faced him in the middle of the room, paler than before.
“You are engaged to me,” he said.
“I am not,” she replied.
“That is a lie!” he exclaimed, struggling in his rage to break through the strong habit of self-control. “It is a damnable lie; but it is the most cruel way of getting rid of me, and therefore the one most congenial to your heartlessness.”
“Sholto,” said Marian, her cheeks beginning to redden: “you should not speak to me like that.”
“I say,” he cried fiercely, “that it is a lie!”
“Whats the matter?” said Elinor, coming hastily into the room.
“Sholto has lost his temper,” said Marian, firmly, her indignation getting the better of her fear now that she was no longer alone with him.
“It is a lie,” repeated Douglas, unable to shape a new sentence. Elinor and Marian looked at one another in perplexity. Then Mr. Lind entered.