Her business-like preparations for the road maddened him.
'Don't you see,' he said, 'what disgrace you are heaping upon me?
What right have you to deny to me, a gentleman and your guest, the right to serve and protect you?
Consider to what wretchedness you consign me if I am left here to think of you fighting alone with this dangerous storm, or attacked by blackguards who we know may not be far away!' She said in a quiet, practical, girlish way, 'It was I who was responsible for letting you in last night, and then this happened--this most unheard-of thing.

We never heard of any but a petty theft ever committed in this whole region before.

Now I am bound to keep you here until we can hear where father's silver is.' 'You don't believe that I have done it! I am sure you do not' (he believed what he said).

'Why haven't you the courage to act upon your conviction?
You will never regret it.' 'Eliz says that she saw you quite distinctly.' 'Eliz is a little fool,' were the words that arose within him, but what he said was, 'Your sister is excitable and nervous; she saw the thief undoubtedly, and by some miserable freak of fortune he may have resembled me.' 'Does that seem at all likely ?' 'Well, then, there was no resemblance, and she fancied it.' She stood up, looking harassed, but without relenting.

'I must go--there is nothing else to be done.