Violet struggled to rise, but he had knelt, in his eagerness, on her dress. She felt faint, swooning, charmed, and thoroughly overcome. She dropped, and fell back.
"Say 'yes'—say you will be mine—say you will let me guide and protect you!" he whispered, tenderly.
Violet, driven to bay, confused, bewildered, overcome, placed her cold, trembling hand in his, and the captain knew that at last he had won the great stake for which he had been so long playing.
Do not blame her, gentle reader. What could she do?—helpless, deceived, overwhelmed as she was. To her, since Leicester's death, all men were the same. This man had been kind, and had been, in a sense, her guardian and protector. It was natural, considering the fearful, deadly power of his will, that she should fall a helpless prey to his wicked wiles.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
AN EX-CONVICT'S STORY.
We last saw Leicester passing from the alcove where he had overheard Fitz's proposal to Violet.
With a tempest of jealousy and injured love he returned to his humble lodgings, to brood over all he had heard.