that you will not swear at me in future and will treat me with more
civility."

I felt I could not continue the subject of his "friendship" with Lady
Grenellen. The whole matter seemed so low.

"Well, you are a brick, after all, not to kick up a row," Augustus
said. "So let us kiss and be friends again, and I am sorry if I was
nasty this morning. There! little woman, you need not be jealous," and
he patted my hand, and then began twisting the long waves of my hair
in and out of his thick fingers.

"What is a fellow to do when a woman falls in love with him?" he
continued, with self-conscious complacency. "He can't be a bear to
her, even though he is married, eh?"

"No, it is only to his wife he can be the bear," I said.

Of course, I ought to have been very jealous and angry, I am sure, but
I could not feel the least emotion. I only longed to wrench my hair
out of his hands, and to tell him that he might speak to and make love
to whom he pleased so long as he left me alone and in peace.

He then became more affectionate, telling me I was the most beautiful
woman he had ever seen, and that I had "stunning hair" and various
other charms, and if only I would not be a lump of ice he would never
leave me!

I could not say, as I felt, "But that is the one thing I should like
you to do," so I said nothing, and, as soon as I could get near the
bell unperceived, rang for McGreggor again, and put an end to the
scene.

VI

Next morning at breakfast Augustus said: "As Farrington has
refused for the 15th, you had better write and ask that fellow
Thornhirst--your cousin. They tell me he is a capital shot, and I
want my birds killed this year."

The year before, apparently, the party had been composed of
indifferent marksmen, and the head keeper had spoken rather
sarcastically upon the subject.

Augustus, when not bullying them, stands in great awe of his servants.

"I am afraid, with only this short notice, there is little chance of
Sir Antony being disengaged," I remarked.

I somehow felt as if I did not want him to come to Ledstone. He would
be so ridiculously out of place here.

"A keen shot would throw over any invitation he had had previously
for such a chance as my two best days," Augustus replied, pompously,
helping himself to a second kidney and smearing it with mustard. "You
just write this morning, and ask him to wire reply."

"Very well," I said, reluctantly. He would certainly be engaged thou