Sentence:  Beale, under this <WSD>frolic</WSD> menace, took nothing back at all; he was indeed apparently on the point of repeating his extravagence, but Miss Overmore instructed her little charge that she was not to listen to his bad jokes [...]. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Merry, joyous, full of mirth; later especially, frolicsome, sportive, full of playful mischief. (from 1530s)