"
"You forget me," said Lolla, dangerously. "I will swear that I saw you
here, where I came to look for you because you had stayed away from the
camp all the night. And when I tell my brothers, what will they swear?"
Again the man muttered something in the gypsy-tongue, but under his
breath. When he spoke aloud to Lolla it was in English.
"They are Barlomengri; they will support me. They will never let the
policemen take me away. They are my brothers--"
"Do you think you can jilt their sister, the girl you asked for as your
wife before all the tribe, and escape their vengeance? Do you think they
will not punish you, even by seeing that you die in a prison, in a
cell?"
And now John, beside himself with anger, fulfilled the threat of his
uplifted hand, and struck Lolla sharply.
"Strike me again!" cried Lolla, furiously. "I have done no wrong! I am
trying only to save you from your own folly. Tell me, at least, where
you have hidden the girl? Would you have her starve? You will be
watched, so that you may not bring her food.
Pages:
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119