He looked up into her eyes wonderingly.
"Don't tell the squire's little maid that I love her," he said slowly. "I've tried to hate her, but I cannot."
She gave a little gasp, and tried to speak, but a lump rose in her throat which threatened to choke her.
"But her father," he went on slowly, "he's a—a——" but he did not finish the sentence.
When the doctor reached his side he was quite unconscious again.
CHAPTER XII
DOROTHY SPEAKS HER MIND
Dorothy—to quote her father's words—had taken the bit between her teeth and bolted. The squire had coaxed her, cajoled her, threatened her, got angry with her, but all to no purpose. She stood before him resolute and defiant, vowing that she would sooner die than marry Lord Probus.
Sir John was at his wits' end. He saw his brightest hopes dissolving before his eyes. If Dorothy carried out her threat, and refused to marry the millionaire brewer, what was to become of him? All his hopes of extricating himself from his present pecuniary embarrassments were centred in his lordship. But if Dorothy deliberately broke the engagement, Lord Probus would see him starve before raising a finger to help him.