"She is engaged to Captain Keith," interrupted Mollie.
"Yes, yes; but that is a trifle. The fact is that she loves him desperately, as I love you. He does not love her; he loves you."
"You have no right—" began Mollie.
He interrupted her by a hasty ejaculation.
"No right," he said, "when the whole thing is as plain—as plain as that there is a sun in the sky! The man loves you as men will love women like you, Sister Mollie; and you love him back. Your sister is mad with trouble. There is only one way to save her—marry me!"
"And believing such a thing to be true, would you really take me to be your wife?" said Mollie.
"I would."
"Then you would be a very miserable man."
"That would be my affair. I would take you as my wife; and, before God, I would be the best man on earth. Yes, Mollie Hepworth, the best, for you have power over me. I was born, I think, with a devil inside me; but in your presence he lies quiet, he does not trouble. You have the effect of sending him to sleep."
"That is little," said Mollie, "if he is there. I cannot marry a man with a devil in his heart."