Alice raised her eyes in wretched bewilderment.
‘Beg her pardon?’ she faltered. ‘Oh, how can I? Why, what harm have I done, Willis? I’m sure I shan’t beg her pardon.’
‘You won’t? If you talk to me in that way you shall go down on your knees before her. You won’t?’
His voice had such concentrated savagery in its suppression that Alice shrank back in terror.
‘Willis! How can you speak so! What have I done?’
‘You’ve made a confounded fool of yourself, and most likely spoilt the last chance you had, if you want to know. In future, when I say a thing understand that I mean it; I don’t give orders for nothing. Go and find her and beg her pardon. I’ll wait here till you’ve done it.’
‘But I can’t! Willis, you won’t force me to do that? I’d rather die than humble myself to her.’
‘Do you hear me?’
She stood up, almost driven to bay. Her eyes were wet, her poor, crumpled prettiness made a deplorable spectacle.
‘I can’t, I can’t! Why are you so unkind to me? I have only said what any one would. I hate her! My lips won’t speak the words. You’ve no right to ask me to do such a thing.’