The Cotton Factory Times. — 1897-04-02 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

CHAPTER XIV. RESCUED.  The bold defiance of Beatrix Bohan, as she stood at bay, utterly amazed and appalled both Mr. Hißaley and Colonel Brand. The former was horrified and shocked. He believed the girl to be mad. His sole anxiety now was to get her out of his Louse without arousing the neighbourhood. Colonel Brand was infuriated. Had it not been for the presence of Mr. HiHaley he could have seized the spirited girl and throttled her. He felt for her in that moment a hatred that terrified him. He could not trust his voice to speak. "Miss Bohan," said Mr. Hillsley, in a voice that actually trembled, but which was intended to be deprecating and soothing—a voiee in which he would have addressed a mad woman—" for heaven's sake, ba calm, be reasonable! Don't excite yourself so terribly. No one will harm you. By heaven, Colonel, what are we to do ?" He looked helplessly at Colonel Brand. That gentleman was equally perplexed.  It was plain that if they ventured to approach Beatrix she would execute her threat and shriek for help, crying out that appalling word—Murder. And Colonel Brand was equally with his friend averse to attracting a crowd in the street or summoning a policeman. The colonel wiped the cold perspiration from his narrow, retreating forehead, and arched his long, thin nose and chin convulsively like a nutcracker in active operation. Beatrix looked from one to the other of the two men with great burning eyes. Her fair face was pale and anxious, but not despairing. " Mr. Hillsley," she said, addressing the trustee in a voice which she endeavoured to render calm, "you were my father's honoured and trusted friend. As such, I again appeal to you. My personal guardians have proven themselves false to the trust reposed in them. They are cruel and treacherous and unscrupulous. They have starved and imprisoned me. They are determined to force me into a, marriage with their son. Again I beseech you to befriend arid protect me—to assist me in my application to the courts for a new guardian." _ _  Again Mr. HiHaley fixed his gaze upon Colonel Brand. . .  That gentleman had gained sufficient self-possession to enable him to speak calmly, yet with a great affectation of grief and anxiety. "My dear child," he said, "why will you cherish this singular hallucination? Why will you wrong us so cruelly? My poor wife was the beloved sister of your father. He knew her thoroughly, and he entrusted to her his most precious possession, his daughter, knowing that that daughter would receive from her a mother's care and tenderness. Mr. Hillsley knows us well, and is not to be imposed upon by your wild accusations. My dear child, you break my heart," and Colonel Brand put his handkerchief to his eyes. "You are as dear to me and Selina as is our own son. Conquer this singular mania of yours, my dear child, and let me take you back to my weeping Selina, your second mother, who will receive you with open arms !" Beatrix replied to this by a look of scorn and contempt. Mr. Hillsley, intercepting that glance, could scarcely repress a groan. His rosy, Sybaritic face. was pitiable in its expression of misery. Loving his ease as he did, hating all annoyance, trouble, and excitement, this scene was, to him, a martyrdom.  Pleased with the sounds of biz own words, and with the impression they had made upon the trustee, Colonel Brand warmed to his work and continued:  "Yes, Beatrix, all shall be forgiven and forgotten, if you will go quiety with me to your poor, weeping Aunt Selina. We will treasure you most tenderly. If you have conceived an aversion to your cousin, he shall be sent away. Come, then, dear child, come home with me—"