“If you dare give breath to another such word in my sister’s presence, I will have you gagged,” said Malcolm. “If my sister marries him,” he continued, turning again to Florimel, “not one shilling shall she take with her beyond what she may happen to have in her purse at the moment. She is in my power, and I will use it to the utmost to protect her from that man.”
“Proof!” cried Liftore sullenly. But Florimel gazed with pale dilated eyes in the face of the speaker. She knew his words were true. Her soul assured her of it.
“To my sister,” answered Malcolm, “I will give all the proof she may please to require; to Lord Liftore I will not even repeat my assertion. To him I will give no shadow of proof. I will but cast him out of my house. Stoat, order horses for Lady Bellair.”
“Gien ye please, sir, my Lord,” replied Stoat, “the Lossie Airms horses is ordered a’ready for Lady Clementina.”
“Will my Lady Clementina oblige me by yielding her horses to Lady Bellair?” said Malcolm, turning to her.
“Certainly, my lord,” answered Clementina.
“You, I trust, my lady,” said Malcolm, “will stay a little longer with my sister.”
Lady Bellair came up.
“My lord,” she said, “is this the marquis or the fisherman’s way of treating a lady?”
“Neither. But do not drive me to give the rein to my tongue. Let it be enough to say that my house shall never be what your presence would make it.”