ive.

"What do you call it?" asked Min, carelessly.

"`Per Contra,'" I answered. "Don't you think it a suitable title?"

"Yes, _I understand_" she said. "Thank you, _Mr Lorton_!"

She spoke, with marked emphasis.

A little time afterwards, when I was sitting moodily in a corner, with a
book before me which I was supposed to be looking at, but whose bare
title escapes my recollection, Min came to my side; and, she began
overhauling some volumes of music that were piled up in a heap on the
floor.

"Mr Lorton," she said, hesitatingly.

That "Mr Lorton" set my teeth on edge.

I made no reply.

"Frank!"

"Yes," I said, testily.

I felt very angry with her for her attentions to Horner and Mawley, and,
as I thought, neglect of me; so, I wished to let her know it.

"Frank," she repeated, "didn't you mean that song at me?"

"Yes, I did," I replied, very grumpily.

"Foolish fellow!" she said; "what a very bad opinion you must have of
me, although I did not know my eyes were blue before! You said the
other night they were grey," and she smiled bewitchingly. But, I
wouldn't be coaxed into good humour.

"Ce m'est egal," I answered coldly, "whatever they are."

"You are very cross!" she said pettishly; "I will go and talk to Mr
Mawley, until you get into a better mood, sir, and are more amiable."

"I'm sure," said I, loftily, "that I would not be the means of depriving
you of his valuable and entertaining society."

Min laughed provokingly. "At all events," she said, "he is not cross
with me about nothing; and _some_ people might learn better manners from
him, Mr Lorton!"

"Pray do not let me detain you from such a charming companion, Miss
Clyde," I said, with distant politeness.

"Even poor Mr Horner can be agreeable and amusing, and _you_ won't even
try to be. I will go to him," she continued, still striving to get me
to be more sociable; but I was obstinate and ill-tempered.

An angel would not have pacified me. How could I have been so rude to
her?

I was a brute.

"Ah," I exclaimed, "_his_ conversation is truly intellectual!"

She was quite vexed now.

"You are very unkind," she said. "You speak ill-naturedly of everybody,
and are cross with me on my birthday! I won't speak to you, Frank,
again this evening; there, see if I do!" and she turned away from me
with a tremble in her voice, and an indignant look in the, now,
flashing, grey eyes.

She kept her promise.

Much as I tried, whe