“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 égal,” 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!”