e; and still the more I
thought upon her conduct the more I hated her.

It was late in the evening before I joined the company. I found Mrs.
Graham already equipped for departure, and taking leave of the rest, who
were now returned to the house. I offered, nay, begged to accompany her
home. Mr. Lawrence was standing by at the time conversing with some one
else. He did not look at us, but, on hearing my earnest request, he
paused in the middle of a sentence to listen for her reply, and went on,
with a look of quiet satisfaction, the moment he found it was to be a
denial.

A denial it was, decided, though not unkind. She could not be persuaded
to think there was danger for herself or her child in traversing those
lonely lanes and fields without attendance. It was daylight still, and
she should meet no one; or if she did, the people were quiet and harmless
she was well assured. In fact, she would not hear of any one's putting
himself out of the way to accompany her, though Fergus vouchsafed to
offer his services in case they should be more acceptable than mine, and
my mother begged she might send one of the farming-men to escort her.

When she was gone the rest was all a blank or worse. Lawrence attempted
to draw me into conversation, but I snubbed him and went to another part
of the room. Shortly after the party broke up and he himself took leave.
When he came to me I was blind to his extended hand, and deaf to his
good-night till he repeated it a second time; and then, to get rid of
him, I muttered an inarticulate reply, accompanied by a sulky nod.

'What is the matter, Markham?' whispered he.

I replied by a wrathful and contemptuous stare.

'Are you angry because Mrs. Graham would not let you go home with her?'
he asked, with a faint smile that nearly exasperated me beyond control.

But, swallowing down all fiercer answers, I merely demanded,--'What
business is it of yours?'

'Why, none,' replied he with provoking quietness; 'only,'--and he raised
his eyes to my face, and spoke with unusual solemnity,--'only let me tell
you, Markham, that if you have any designs in that quarter, they will
certainly fail; and it grieves me to see you cherishing false hopes, and
wasting your strength in useless efforts, for--'

'Hypocrite!' I exclaimed; and he held his breath, and looked very blank,
turned white about the gills, and went away without another word.

I had wounded him to the quick; and I was glad of it.