“Leave the room, you brazen jade!” shouted the baronet; “leave the room, or it'll be worse for you.”
“Deuce a one toe I'll lave it. It wasn't for that I came here, but to tell you that you are a tyrant and a murdherer, a mane old schemer, that would marry your daughter to a common swindler and reprobate, because he's a lord. But here I stand, the woman that will prevent this marriage, if there wasn't another faymale from here to Bally-shanny.”
“Alice!” exclaimed Lucy, “for heaven's sake, what do you mean?—what awful language is this? You forget yourself.”
“That may be, miss, but, by the life in my body, I won't forget you. A ring won't go on you to that titled scamp so long as I have a drop of manly blood in my veins—deuce a ring!”
Amazement almost superseded indignation on the part of the baronet, who unconsciously exclaimed, “A ring!”
“No—pursuin' to the ring!” she replied, accompanying the words with what was intended to be a fearful blow of her little clenched hand upon the table.
“Let me go, Lucy,” said her father, “till I put the termagant out of the room.”
“Yes, let him go, miss,” replied Alley; “let us see what he'll do. Here I stand now,” she proceeded, approaching him; “and if you offer to lift a hand to me, I'll lave ten of as good marks in your face as ever a woman left since the creation. Come, now—am I afeard of you?” and as she spoke she approached him still more nearly, with both her hands close to his face, her fingers spread out and half-clenched, reminding one of a hawk's talons.
“Alice,” said Lucy, “this is shocking; if you love me, leave the room.”
“Love you! miss,” replied the indignant but faithful girl, bursting into bitter tears; “love you!—merciful heaven, wouldn't I give my life for you?—who that knows you doesn't love you? and it's for that reason that I don't wish to see you murdhered—nor won't. Come, sir, you must let her out of this marriage. It'll be no go, I tell you. I won't suffer it, so long as I've strength and life. I'll dash myself between them. I'll make the ole clergyman skip if he attempts it; ay, and what's more, I'll see Dandy Dulcimer, and we'll collect a faction.”