nd if your conscience upbraid you for it, say I
overcame you, and you could not choose but yield!'

I never saw a man go terribly excited. He precipitated himself towards
me. I snatched up my palette-knife and held it against him. This
startled him: he stood and gazed at me in astonishment; I daresay I
looked as fierce and resolute as he. I moved to the bell, and put my
hand upon the cord. This tamed him still more. With a
half-authoritative, half-deprecating wave of the hand, he sought to deter
me from ringing.

'Stand off, then!' said I; he stepped back. 'And listen to me. I don't
like you,' I continued, as deliberately and emphatically as I could, to
give the greater efficacy to my words; 'and if I were divorced from my
husband, or if he were dead, I would not marry you. There now! I hope
you're satisfied.'

His face grew blanched with anger.

'I am satisfied,' he replied, with bitter emphasis, 'that you are the
most cold-hearted, unnatural, ungrateful woman I ever yet beheld!'

'Ungrateful, sir?'

'Ungrateful.'

'No, Mr. Hargrave, I am not. For all the good you ever did me, or ever
wished to do, I most sincerely thank you: for all the evil you have done
me, and all you would have done, I pray God to pardon you, and make you
of a better mind.' Here the door was thrown open, and Messrs. Huntingdon
and Hattersley appeared without. The latter remained in the hall, busy
with his ramrod and his gun; the former walked in, and stood with his
back to the fire, surveying Mr. Hargrave and me, particularly the former,
with a smile of insupportable meaning, accompanied as it was by the
impudence of his brazen brow, and the sly, malicious, twinkle of his eye.

'Well, sir?' said Hargrave, interrogatively, and with the air of one
prepared to stand on the defensive.

'Well, sir,' returned his host.

'We want to know if you are at liberty to join us in a go at the
pheasants, Walter,' interposed Hattersley from without. 'Come! there
shall be nothing shot besides, except a puss or two; I'll vouch for
that.'

Walter did not answer, but walked to the window to collect his faculties.
Arthur uttered a low whistle, and followed him with his eyes. A slight
flush of anger rose to Hargrave's cheek; but in a moment he turned calmly
round, and said carelessly:

'I came here to bid farewell to Mrs. Huntingdon, and tell her I must go
to-morrow.'

'Humph! You're mighty sudden in your resolution. What takes you off