‘I will speak!’ shouted Richard. ‘Everybody knows—he knows—that his mother was a common peasant woman, and that he is my uncle’s bastard!’
Desmond sprang past Peebles with a cry, and struck his traducer in the face.
‘Keep him off!’ cried Richard, white and reeling from the blow. ‘Curse you, Peebles, why don’t you keep him off?’
‘Ye fool!’ said Peebles, with angry contempt. ‘Ye pitiful, cowardly fool, ’twad serve ye right if he beat the life oot of your carcase!’
Desmond, blind with fury, had seized Richard by the throat.
‘Down on your knees!’ he cried.
‘Take back those words!’
Just then Kilpatrick’s gray face and trembling figure appeared at the room door—none but Peebles saw him.
‘Take them back!’ cried Desmond, raising his fist to strike again.
‘Let me go!’ cried Richard desperately.