`I was only going to ask if you had painted it yourself,' said I, ~y resigning the picture into her hands; for without a grain of ceremony, she took it from me; and quickly restoring it to the dark corner, with its face to the wall, placed the other against it as before, and then turned to me and laughed.

But I was in no humour for jesting. I carelessly turned to the window, and stood looking out upon the desolate garden, leaving her to talk to Rose for a minute or two; and then, telling my sister it was time to go, shook hands with the little gentleman, coolly bowed to the lady, and moved towards the door. But, having bid adieu to Rose, Mrs Graham presented her hand to me, saying, with a soft voice, and by no means a disagreeable smile,--

`Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, Mr Markham. I'm sorry I offended you by my abruptness.'

When a lady condescends to apologize, there is no keeping one's anger of course; so we parted good friends for once; and this time, I squeezed her hand with a cordial, not a spiteful pressure.