"Will you not release
me, miserable? Must I call for help? Oh, you shall suffer for
this! As there is a Heaven, you shall be punished!"
But in my passion I held her, despite entreaties, threats, and
struggles. I was brutal, if you will. Yet think of what was in
my soul at being so misjudged, at finding myself in this position,
and deal not over harshly with me. The courage to confess which I
had lacked for days, came to me then. I must tell her. Let the
result be what it might, it could not be worse than this, and this
I could endure no longer.
"Listen, Roxalanne!"
"I will not listen! Enough of insults have I heard already. Let
me go!"
"Nay, but you shall hear me. I am not Rene de Lesperon. Had these
Marsacs been less impetuous and foolish, had they waited to have
seen me this morning, they would have told you so."
She paused for a second in her struggles to regard me. Then, with
a sudden contemptuous laugh, she renewed her efforts more vigorously
than before.
"What fresh lies do you offer me? Release me, I will hear no more!"
"As Heaven is my witness, I have told you the truth. I know how
wild a sound it has, and that is partly why I did not tell you
earlier. But your disdain I cannot suffer. That you should deem
me a liar in professing to love you--"
Her struggles were grown so frantic that I was forced to relax
my grip. But this I did with a suddenness that threw her out of
balance, and she was in danger of falling backwards.
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