They had only remembered certain
threats of disinheritance uttered a year or two previously by the uncle (who had no living relative except the nephew), and they had, therefore, always looked upon this disinheritance as a matter that was settled -- so single-minded a race of beings were the Rattleburghers; but the remark of "Old Charley" brought them at once to a consideration of this point, and thus gave them to see the possibility of the
threats having been nothing more than a
threat.
It occurred to me that I had made another blunder: I had sent the boy off to alarm his betters with a
threat -- I intending to invent a calamity at my leisure; now the people who are the readiest and eagerest and willingest to swallow miracles are the very ones who are hungriest to see you perform them; suppose I should be called on for a sample?
It was resolved, therefore, to keep a sharp look- out upon his movements; and M'Lellan swore that if he saw the least sign of treachery on his part, he would instantly put his old
threat into execution.
When Michael, not entirely unwitting of the snub of the man's lack of interest, stirred restlessly with a
threat to depart, he had flung at him gruffly:
Then putting my whip in my teeth, I stooped for a stone, and with that
threat drove the creature away.
But his
threat was recalled by the brothers Jackson and he was arrested on suspicion and a deputy sheriff put in charge of him at his home.
Larsan had threatened Darzac as he had threatened Mathilde--with the same weapon, and the same
threats. He wrote Darzac urgent letters, declaring himself ready to deliver up the letters that had passed between him and his wife, and to leave them for ever, if he would pay him his price.
I had before been moved by the sophisms of the being I had created; I had been struck senseless by his fiendish
threats; but now, for the first time, the wickedness of my promise burst upon me; I shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest, whose selfishness had not hesitated to buy its own peace at the price, perhaps, of the existence of the whole human race.
Should he put in force the
threat which, two weeks ago, some such gathering had wrung from him--the terrible
threat that if visitors came on Sunday he should dine alone in his room?
And as for thy other rash
threat, thou hast not the guts to put thy wishes into deeds, thou craven coward, for well ye know that Simon de Montfort would cut out thy foul heart with his own hand if he ever suspected thou wert guilty of speaking of such to me, his daughter." And Bertrade de Montfort swept from the great hall, and mounted to her tower chamber in the ancient Saxon stronghold of Colfax.
OEDIPUS What power hast thou to execute this
threat?
Winkle with himself--'if this Dowler attempts (as I have no doubt he will) to carry into execution his
threat of personal violence against myself, it will be incumbent on me to call him out.