“By Heaven, she defies me even here!” exclaimed Hardcastle, pale with rage, and striding toward her.
“Yes,” said Garnet, recoiling a step or two, and standing upon the fragment of rock where she had so often sat in childhood; “yes,” she said, reverently raising her eyes and hand, “by Heaven, I do defy you! Under the protection of Heaven, in the name of Heaven, I do defy you!”
“Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Thou fool! Why, what shall hinder me now from refuting you and taking my revenge?” he said, again striding toward her.
“Off! A parley, I say! Listen to me a moment. God! myself! yourself shall hinder you. Mr. Hardcastle, I have this hour conquered a greater and stronger adversary than yourself—even mine own spirit! I have overcome my anger; I have the lion of my temper chained beneath my feet. And now, to put you down will be a much lighter task—much easier victory. And I tell you now, in coolness, what I told you before in heat, that I am not afraid of you. Nor shall you falsely take the tone toward me of one who has the advantage. I know you, Mr. Hardcastle. And I know your present evil scheme by your former revealed treachery. Heaven purify my soul from the sin of the knowledge! I know that you now think you have me at your mercy, and intend to terrify me into making conditions with you.”
“In the fiend’s name, young woman, what do you mean?”
“This, to be explicit: You think to fright me, Garnet Seabright, into the promise to become your wife, and endow you with the broad lands of Mount Calm, upon condition of your sparing me, showing mercy to me, and taking me safely home to Mount Calm.”
“By all the demons, girl! I wonder that you should dare to give breath to that fear!”
“Not fear!”
“To that suspicion, then. I am amazed that you should venture to place these conditions before me.”
“That I should detect and pluck the villainous scheme from your heart, and hold it up before you. Well, I will go further in my defiance of you, Mr. Hardcastle, and tell you that, threaten what you may, I will never, under any circumstances, promise to be your wife. Now, you see that I know I am not at your mercy.”