The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. Volume 3. George Meredith

      "Why did they take her away? what have they done with her? where have they taken her to?"

      These red-hot questionings were addressed to the universal heaven rather than to Tom.

      "Why didn't she write?" they were resumed. "Why did she leave? She's mine. She belongs to me! Who dared take her away? Why did she leave without writing?—Tom!"

      "Yes, sir," said the well-drilled recruit, dressing himself up to the word of command. He expected a variation of the theme from the change of tone with which his name had been pronounced, but it was again, "Where have they taken her to?" and this was even more perplexing to Tom than his hard sum in arithmetic had been. He could only draw down the corners of his mouth hard, and glance up queerly.