his indifference, his patronage, his
thinly-veiled antagonism. She was accustomed to a surfeit of masculine
attention, and cherished a complacent faith in her own fascinations. It
was a new and disagreeable experience to meet a man who, so far from
exhibiting the well-known symptoms of subjugation, was honestly anxious
to avoid her society. To feel herself disliked; to be a bore to two
men--the one eager to hand her over to his friend, the other furious at
being so trapped--can the world contain a deeper degradation for
feminine three-and-twenty? Cornelia's mood changed before it. The
excitement which had tided her over the events of the afternoon died
away, to be succeeded by a wave of sickening home-sickness. She was
lonesome--she wanted her poppar! She hated this pokey place, and
everyone in it. She guessed she'd take a cabin in the first boat and
sail away home. ... Her lips quivered, and she blinked rapidly to
suppress a threatening tear. She would rather shoot herself than cry
before this patronising Englishman, but it was almost past endurance to
play second fiddle all the afternoon, be snubbed on the way home, and
look forward to an evening spent in propitiating two nervous old ladies!

"I don't get any bou-quets in this play!" soliloquised Cornelia, sadly.
"'Far's I can see, there isn't a soul in Great Britain that cares a dump
about me at the present moment, except, maybe, Aunt Soph, and she'd like
me a heap better at a distance!" She sighed involuntarily, and Captain
Guest, watching her from beneath his lowered lids, was visited by an
uncomfortable suspicion that while criticising another, his own
behaviour had not been above reproach. Now that the girl had lost her
aggressive air, and looked tired and sad, the feminine element made its
appeal. Arrogance gave place to sympathy, prejudice to self-reproach.
... She was only a little thing after all, and as slim as a reed.

Rapidly reviewing the incidents of the afternoon, he was as much
surprised as shocked at the recollection of his own discourtesy. This
stranger had overheard his frank declaration of dislike, had probably
also seen the glance of reproach which he had cast upon Greville in the
porch before starting out on this drive. Twice in a few hours had he
overstepped the bounds of politeness, he, who flattered himself on
presenting an unimpeachable exterior, whatever might be the inward
emotions! The explanation of the lapse was a sudde