"Yes, take it out of my sight; so best. Where are they?"
Ryder locked the pistol up in one of Mrs. Gaunt's boxes. Then she said, in a trembling voice, "Follow me."
He followed her in awful silence.
She went rather slowly to the door that opened on the lawn; and then she hesitated. "If you are a man, and have any feeling for a poor girl who loves you,—if you are a gentleman, and respect your word,—no violence."
"I promise," said he. "Where are they?"
"Nay, nay. I fear I shall rue the day I told you. Promise me once more: no bloodshed—upon your soul."
"I promise. Where are they?"
"God forgive me; they are in the Grove."
He bounded away from her like some beast of prey; and she crouched and trembled on the steps of the door: and, now that she realized what she was doing, a sickening sense of dire misgiving came over her, and made her feel quite faint.
And so the weak, but dangerous creature sat crouching and quaking, and launched the strong one.