Suddenly Miss Barry arose from her seat, stepped quickly to the bed,
and caught Molly’s hot, writhing hands in both her strong, cool, white
ones. It was a fierce, vindictive grasp that pained Molly’s tender
wrists, and, looking up with frightened eyes, she saw that Louise’s
face was working with fury.
“Look at me, Molly Trueheart!” she hissed, savagely, and Molly’s dark,
piteous, tearful orbs lifted reluctantly to meet that gaze filled with
tigress fury.
Louise continued, fiercely:
“Since you came to live with us as a child, Molly, have you ever known
me to give up anything on which I had set my heart?”
“No,” sighed the trembling girl.
“Have I not forced you in every instance where our wills clashed to
yield to me?”
“Ye-es,” half sobbed the agonized victim, with a shudder.
“Very well, then, since you own this, Molly, you ought not to be
surprised that I intend to adhere to my purpose. So I say now, briefly,
and for all, that you shall never betray my part in your going to
my aunt at Ferndale. I have told Cecil Laurens that it was all your
treachery, and you shall not betray me!”
“But I will! I must! Oh, Louise, you must be mad to think I could
let him go on thinking so hardly of me! I shall tell him, or Doctor
Charley, or--or--any one who will listen to me,” piteously.
“No one will listen to you, you little fool!” Louise hissed, angrily.
She pinched the little wrists tighter in her fierce grasp, and gave
Molly such a vicious shake that she cried out in pain and terror.
Bending lower, she went on, cruelly:
“Do you know what I would do to you, Molly, if you attempted to betray
me?”
“No-o, Louise! Oh, let go my hands, you hurt me!”
“Never mind your hands; I’ll pinch them as long as I choose! I ought to
beat you for your ill-behavior, but I won’t. You’re getting too big to
be punished that way now. But, Molly, if you ever come between me and
my plans, if you ever tell what you know of me, _I’ll kill you_!”
“I--I’m not afraid!” muttered Molly, but her teeth chattered, and her
slight form shook as if with an ague chill.
“You _are_ afraid! You are almost dead with terror this minute, for you
know _me_, Molly Trueheart! and you know I’ll keep my word as sure as
there’s a God in heaven, or a devil in hell!” menacingly exclaimed her
persecutor.
Molly’s head drooped wearily a moment, and heavy, labored sighs rose
from her tortured breast.
“I wish I were dead!” she sighed, bitterly, to herself; then she looked
up with sudden defiance at Louise, and said, with passionate emphasis:
“Very well, then, Louise, I’ll dare all for the sake of having Cecil
know the truth, for he could not think quite so badly of me then, and
perhaps he would pity me a little in my early grave after I had been
murdered for telling him the truth!”
Louise dropped the little hands, and stepping back a pace, regarded
Molly in silent, vengeful fury. There was so deadly a wrath in the
look that the sick girl cowered and shivered, and fell to rubbing the
soft wrists and hands that were black and blue from the cruel grasp of
Louise’s hands.
“You defy me, you weak, puny thing!” the latter hissed, fiercely.
“Molly Trueheart, you must be mad, indeed. Do you think I will leave
you here now to betray me?”
Molly looked at her in sudden apprehension.
“What do you mean?” she faltered.
“I’m going to take you away from this house and hide you where you can
never find any one to listen to your story,” her tormentor answered,
audaciously.
She sat down again in the great purple velvet chair, and looking
insolently at her victim, observed coolly:
“I’m going to sit here until you faint, and then I shall carry you out
to my carriage and drive off with you.”
“I’m--not--going--to faint!” Molly muttered, but her lips were purple
already, and her eyes dim, while a horrible sinking feeling stole over
her form.
She struggled desperately against it, and Louise Barry laughed,
mockingly.
“You will be unconscious in five minutes,” she said. “I see it stealing
over you, now. You are worn out by all that you have suffered, and you
can not bear up against your terror of me!”