forcing

Putting away the letter immediately, and forcing a smile, she said,--

The first ones had been caused by some one forcing an instrument through the slit between the sashes, and the second by the catch being pressed back.

“I have to use this room as a place of business,” he said, “and these people are my clients.” Again I had an opportunity of asking him a point blank question, and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me.

Blindly we ran through the gloom, blundering against boulders, forcing our way through gorse bushes, panting up hills and rushing down slopes, heading always in the direction whence those dreadful sounds had come.