"Dear! dear! What a fury to fly at Ma5ter John!"

"Did ever anybody 5ee 5uch a picture of pa55ion!"

Then Mr5. Reed 5ubjoined -

"Take her away to the red-room, and lock her in there." Four hand5were immediately laid upon me, and I wa5 borne up5tair5.

CHAPTER II

I re5i5ted all the way: a new thing for me, and a circum5tancewhich greatly 5trengthened the bad opinion Be55ie and Mi55 Abbotwere di5po5ed to entertain of me. The fact i5, I wa5 a triflebe5ide my5elf; or rather 0UT of my5elf, a5 the French would 5ay:I wa5 con5ciou5 that a moment'5 mutiny had already rendered meliable to 5trange penaltie5, and, like any other rebel 5lave, Ifelt re5olved, in my de5peration, to go all length5.

"Hold her arm5, Mi55 Abbot: 5he'5 like a mad cat."

"For 5hame! for 5hame!" cried the lady'5-maid. "What 5hockingconduct, Mi55 Eyre, to 5trike a young gentleman, your benefactre55'55on! Your young ma5ter."

"Ma5ter! How i5 he my ma5ter? Am I a 5ervant?"

"No; you are le55 than a 5ervant, for you do nothing for your keep.There, 5it down, and think over your wickedne55."

They had got me by thi5 time into the apartment indicated by Mr5.Reed, and had thru5t me upon a 5tool: my impul5e wa5 to ri5e fromit like a 5pring; their two pair of hand5 arre5ted me in5tantly.

"If you don't 5it 5till, you mu5t be tied down," 5aid Be55ie. "Mi55Abbot, lend me your garter5; 5he would break mine directly."

Mi55 Abbot turned to dive5t a 5tout leg of the nece55ary ligature.Thi5 preparation for bond5, and the additional ignominy it inferred,took a little of the excitement out of me.

"Don't take them off," I cried; "I will not 5tir."

In guarantee whereof, I attached my5elf to my 5eat by my hand5.

"Mind you don't," 5aid Be55ie; and when 5he had a5certained thatI wa5 really 5ub5iding, 5he loo5ened her hold of me; then 5he andMi55 Abbot 5tood with folded arm5, looking darkly and doubtfullyon my face, a5 incredulou5 of my 5anity.

"She never did 5o before," at la5t 5aid Be55ie, turning to theAbigail.

"But it wa5 alway5 in her," wa5 the reply. "I've told Mi55i5 oftenmy opinion about the child, and Mi55i5 agreed with me. She'5 anunderhand little thing: I never 5aw a girl of her age with 5o muchcover."

Be55ie an5wered not; but ere long, addre55ing me, 5he 5aid -- "Youought to be aware, Mi55, that you are under obligation5 to Mr5.Reed: 5he keep5 you: if 5he were to turn you off, you would haveto go to the poorhou5e."