Amy. 'You cannot guess what he
meant?'

'Not the least in the world. I have not the most distant suspicion. It
was of no use to declare I was not offended with any one; he only looked
in that way of his, as if he knew much better than I did myself, and
told me he could make allowances.'

'Worse than all! How horrid of him.'

'No, don't spoil me. No doubt he thinks he has grounds, and my
irritation was unjustifiable. Yes, I got into my old way. He cautioned
me, and nearly made me mad! I never was nearer coming to a regular
outbreak. Always the same! Fool that I am.'

'Now, Guy, that is always your way; when other people are provoking,
you abuse yourself. I am sure Philip was so, with his calm assertion of
being right.'

'The more provoking, the more trial for me.'

'But you endured it. You say it was only _nearly_ an outbreak. You
parted friends? I am sure of that.'

'Yes, it would have been rather too bad not to do that.'

'Then why do you scold yourself, when you really had the victory?'

'The victory will be if the inward feeling as well as the outward token
is ever subdued.'

'O, that must be in time, of course. Only let me hear how you got on
with Colonel Deane.'

'He was very good-natured, and would have laughed it off, but Philip
went with me, and looked grand, and begged in a solemn way that no more
might be said. I could have got on better alone; but Philip was very
kind, or, as you say, gracious.'

'And provoking,' added Amy, 'only I believe you do not like me to say
so.'

'It is more agreeable to hear you call him so at this moment than is
good for me. I have no right to complain, since I gave the offence.'

'The offence?'

'The absenting myself.'

'Oh! that you did because you thought it right.'

'I want to be clear that it was right.'

'What do you mean?' cried she, astonished. 'It was a great piece of
self-denial, and I only felt it wrong not to be doing the same.'

'Nay, how should such creatures as you need the same discipline as I?'

She exclaimed to herself how far from his equal she was--how weak, idle,
and self-pleasing she felt herself to be; but she could not say so--the
words would not come; and she only drooped her little head, humbled by
his treating her as better than himself.

He proceeded:--

'Something wrong I have done, and I want the clue. Was it self-will in
choosing discipline contrary to your mother's judgment? Yet she could
not know all. I thought it her ki