Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/264

 for as he read the letter he turned a terribly pallid colour in the face.

"God bless me! but it's monstrous," he said, starting up, with his eyes still on the paper. "Not content with holding up my coach, commandeering my horses, and making me look extremely ridiculous, they now force me, a lawyer, an honest lawyer, to break those very laws that I have sworn to defend. It's monstrous! Utterly monstrous! What am I to do? What can I do? My wife must know of this! My wife must read this letter," and accordingly he took a step toward the door. But Imogene was too quick for him. With her back against it and the pistol levelled at his head, the lawyer was entirely nonplussed.

"If you please, sir," she said, "I had orders that you were not to leave the room, indeed that you were not to leave my sight, until I was quite satisfied that you would carry out the Scarecrow's orders."

"No, really?" exclaimed the lawyer.

"Yes, indeed, sir," replied the girl, and then added in a frightened voice: "If you disobey the Scarecrow, it is just as well that I should shoot you here, for all the chance you will have to get away from the penalty, and for myself—well, the consequences would be as fatal to me in either case, so you see if you do not help me by obeying the letter you will not only be killing yourself but me, too."

The lawyer looked blankly at Imogene, and then,