“Then, let me request you to say no more on the subject to any one,” he said, with vexation.

“I sha’n’t promise,” she muttered, half under her breath.  But he heard it.

“Very well, then, I forbid it; and you have promised to obey me.”

“And you promised that it should always be love and coaxing,” she said, in tones trembling with pain and passion.  “I’ll have to tell Ella something about it.”

“Then, say only what is quite necessary,” he returned, his tones softening.

Then, after a moment’s silence, in which Zoe’s face was turned from him so that he could not see its expression, “Won’t you go now, and ask if Miss Deane is any easier?  Surely, as her hostess, you should do so much.”

“No, I won’t!  I’ll do all I can to make her comfortable; I’ll provide her with society more agreeable to her than mine; I’ll see that she has interesting reading-matter, if she wants it; I’ll do any thing and every thing I can, except that; but you needn’t ask that of me.”

“O Zoe!  I had thought you would do a harder thing than that at my request,” he said reproachfully.

Ignoring his remark, she went on, “I just believe she fell and hurt herself purposely, that she might have an excuse for prolonging her visit, and continuing to torment me.”

“Zoe, Zoe, how shockingly uncharitable you are!” he exclaimed.  “I could never have believed it of you!  We are told, ‘Charity thinketh no evil.’  Do try not to judge so harshly.”

He left the room; and Zoe indulged in a hearty cry, but hastily dried her eyes, and turned her back toward the door, as she heard his step approaching again.

He just looked in, saying, “Zoe, I am going to drive over to Roselands for Ella:  will you go along?”

“No.  I’ve been lectured enough for one day,” was her ungracious rejoinder; and he closed the door, and went away.

He was dumb with astonishment and pain.  “What has come over her?” he asked himself.  “She has always before been so delighted to go any and every where with me.  Have I been too ready to reprove her of late?  I have thought myself rather forbearing, considering how much ill-temper she has shown.  She has had provocation, to be sure; but it is high time she learned to exercise some self-control.  Yet perhaps I should have been more sympathizing, more forbearing and affectionate.”

He had stepped into his carriage, and was driving down the avenue.  He passed through the great gates, and turned into the road, still thinking of Zoe, and mentally reviewing their behavior toward each other since the unfortunate day in which Miss Deane had crossed their threshold.

The conclusion he presently arrived at was, that he had not been altogether blameless; that, if his reproofs had been given in more loving fashion, they would have been received in a better spirit; that he had not been faithful to his promise always to try “love and coaxing” with the impulsive, sensitive child-wife, who, he doubted not, loved him with her whole heart; and, once convinced of that, he determined to say so on his return, and make it up with her.