other, and as, in
your present temper, that would be hopeless, it matters little that I
have forgotten it."

She made no answer to this speech, but quietly occupied herself
arranging a braid of her hair that had just fallen down.

"Miss L'Estrange!" said he, in a haughty and somewhat bold tone.

"Mr. Bramleigh," replied she, turning and facing him with perfect
gravity, though her tremulous lip and sparkling eye showed what the
effort to seem serious cost her.

"If you will condescend to be real, to be natural, for about a minute
and a half, it may save us, or at least one of us, a world of trouble
and unhappiness."

"It 's not a very courteous supposition of yours that implies I am
unreal or unnatural," said she, calmly; "but no matter, go on; say what
you desire to say, and you shall find me pretty attentive."

"What I want to say is this, then," said he, approaching where she
stood, and leaning one arm on the chimney close to where her own arm was
resting; "I wanted to tell--no, I wanted to ask you if the old relations
between us are to be considered as bygone,--if I am to go away from
this to-day believing that all I have ever said to you, all that you
heard--for you _did_ hear me, Julia--"

"Julia!" repeated she, in mock amazement. "What liberty is this, sir?"
and she almost laughed out as she spoke.

"I knew well how it would be," said he, angrily. "There is a heartless
levity in your nature that nothing represses. I asked you to be serious
for one brief instant."

"And you shall find that I can," said she, quickly. "If I have not been
more so hitherto, it has been in mercy to yourself."

"In mercy to me? To me! What do you mean?"

"Simply this. You came here to give me a lesson this morning. But it
was at your sister's suggestion. It was her criticism that prompted you
to the task. I read it all. I saw how ill prepared you were. You have
mistaken some things, forgotten others; and, in fact, you showed me
that you were far more anxious I should exculpate myself than that you
yourself should be the victor. It was for this reason that I was really
annoyed,--seriously annoyed, at what you said to me; and I called in
what you are so polite as to style my 'levity' to help me through my
difficulty. Now, however, you have made me serious enough; and it is in
this mood I say, Don't charge yourself another time with such a mission.
Reprove whatever you like, but let it come from yourself. Don't think
light-he