he answered Betty.

"Then you ain't disappointed," he sneered.

She rested her hands on the table beside her plate, the knife and fork
poised, and regarded him with a frank gaze.

"No, I am not disappointed. You quite meet my expectations. In fact,"
she went on, "I thought you would be much worse than you are. So far,
if we except your attack on grandfather, you haven't exhibited any
vicious traits. You are vain, though, and conceited, and like to bully
people. But those are faults that can be corrected."

Calumet had to look twice at her before he could be certain that she
was not mocking him.

"I reckon you're goin' to correct them?" he said, then.

She took a sip of coffee and placed the cup delicately down before she
answered.

"Of course--if you are to stay here."

"How?" His lips were in an incredulous sneer.

"By showing you that you can't be conceited around me, and that you
can't bully me. I suppose," she went on, leaning her elbows on the
table and supporting her chin with her hands while she looked straight
at him, "that when you came in here and took a seat without being
invited, you imagined you were impressing some one with your
importance. But you were not; you were merely acting the part of a
vulgar boor. Or perhaps you had a vague idea that you were going to do
as you please."

He placed his knife and fork down and looked at her. Her manner was
irritating; her quiet, direct glances disconcerted him. He could not
fail to see that he had signally failed in his effort to disturb her.
In fact, it became very plain to him as he watched her that she was
serenely conscious of her power over him, as a teacher is conscious of
her authority over an unruly pupil, and that, like a teacher, she was
quietly determined to be the victor.

The thought angered Calumet. There was in his mind a desire to humble
her, to crush her, to break her spirit, to drag her down to his own
level where he could fight her with his own weapons. He wanted to
humiliate her, wanted to gloat over her, wanted above all to have her
acknowledge his superiority, his authority, over her. Had he been able
to do this at their first meeting he would have been satisfied; if he
were able to do it now he would be pleased.

"It's none of your business what I thought," he said, leaning over the
table and leering at her. "I'm goin' to run things to suit myself, an'
if you an' your grandpap an' your brother don't like my styl