indomitable mastery.

"Promise me!" he said. "Promise me!"

His lips were horribly near her own. She strained away from him tensely,
with all her strength. "I will not!" she panted. "I will not!"

"You shall!" he declared furiously. "Do you think I will be beaten by a
child like you? I tell you, you shall!"

But still desperately she struggled against him, repeating voicelessly,
"I will not! I will not!"

He gripped her fast, holding her face up mercilessly to his own. "You
think I won't do it?" he said.

"I know you won't!" she gasped back. "You couldn't! No man--no man
could!"

"I swear to you that I will!" he said.

"No!" she breathed. "No! No! No!"

She saw the fury on his face suddenly harden and turn cold. Abruptly he
set her free.

"Very well," he said. "Marry you I will. But first I will show you that
I am a man of my word."

He swung round upon his heel to leave her. But in that instant the