I felt hurt, and almost insulted.  I had not been mistaken, then; she had disliked me, and perhaps disliked me yet.

“It was not that I stood in fear of your satire,” she continued; “I am indifferent to ridicule or censure in general; no one but a friend has power to wound me.”

A flattering emphasis, truly!  I felt my temper a little stirred by Miss Etty’s frankness.  I was sulkily silent.

“I had no claim to any forbearance, any consideration for peculiarities of any sort.  I am perfectly resigned to being the theme of your wit in any circle, if you can find aught in my country-bred ways to amuse you.”

Zounds!  I must speak.

“My conduct to Flora must have confirmed the charming impression produced by my unlucky phiz, I imagine.  But don’t bear malice against me in her behalf; you must have seen that she was perfectly able to revenge herself.”

Etty’s light-hearted laugh rung out, and reminded me of my once baffled curiosity when it reached my ear from Norah’s domain.  But though this unsuppressed mirth of hers revealed the prettiest row of teeth in the world, and made the whole face decidedly beautiful, somehow or other it gave me no pleasure, but rather a feeling of depression.  My joining in it was pure pretence.

Presently the brightness faded, and I found myself gazing at the cold countenance of Little Ugly again.

“No, I did not refer to Flora,” said she.  “As you say, she can avenge her own quarrel, and we both were quite as ready to laugh at you, as you could be to laugh at us, I assure you.”

“No doubt of it,” said I, with some pique.

“But what I cannot forgive you, cannot think of with any toleration, is—­”

“What?” cried I, astonished.  “How have I offended?”

“A man of any right feeling at all could not make game of an aged woman, his own relative, at the same time that he was receiving her hearty and affectionate hospitality.”

“Neither have I done so,” cried I, in a towering passion.  “You do me a great wrong in accusing me of it.  I would knock any man down who should treat my aunt with any disrespect.  And if I have sometimes allowed Flora to do it unrebuked, you well know that she might once have pulled my hair, or cuffed my ears, and I should have thought it a becoming thing for a young lady to do.  I have played the fool under your eye, and submit that you should entertain no high opinion of my wisdom.  But you have no right to judge so unfavorably of my heart.  If I have spoken to my aunt with boyish petulance when she vexed me, at least it was to her face, and regretted and atoned for to her satisfaction.  I am incapable of deceiving her, much less of ridiculing her either behind her back or before her face.  I respond to her love for me with sincere gratitude, and the sister of my grandmother shall never want any attention that an own grandson could render while I live.  I shall find it hard to forgive you this accusation, Miss Etty,” I said, haughtily, and shut my mouth as if I would never speak to her again.