Mariora was no longer the mistress of her own thoughts. She is a
helpless creature. If I had not whispered in her ear what she was to
say, she would have had no answer ready for him.
"'I fear you,' she said at my prompting, 'for you are a robber; it is
not love but money that you want. Why did it not occur to you to court
me before? You have only come now because you have found out that my
father has been here and offered me a hundred ducats that we may buy a
little estate with it. You have only come here to rob me of that.'
"The tempter grew furious at so much gainsaying.
"'Stupid wench!' he cried, 'what are your hundred ducats to me? I will
give you ten times as much. Here! take them!' And with that he pitched
through the little window--opening above the door a heavy purse which
fell rattling at our feet. It was full of ducats. I kicked it aside with
loathing.
"'It is easy to talk,' replied Mariora. 'Now, you give and give, but if
I were to let you in, you would take them back again to-morrow with my
own.'
"'I swear I will not.'
"'No, I will not believe the oaths of a robber. You have firearms and I
am therefore defenceless against you. Go and hang up your musket, your
pistols, and your hunting-knife on that beech-tree, which is a hundred
paces distant from the house; when you come back without your firearms I
will believe that you do not want to kill me and will listen to what you
have to say?'
"The robber fell into the snare and did as he was bid.
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