her with
indifference, and she grew like a bit of marble. The day after, he
teased her to know what was the matter; her lips would not unclose. Of
course he could not feel real anger on his side: the match was too
unequal in every way; he tried soothing and coaxing. "Why was she so
angry? What had he done?" By-and-by tears answered him; he petted her,
and they were friends. But she was one on whom such incidents were not
lost: I remarked that never after this rebuff did she seek him, or
follow him, or in any way solicit his notice. I told her once to carry
a book or some other article to Graham when he was shut up in his study.

"I shall wait till he comes out," said she, proudly; "I don't choose to
give him the trouble of rising to open the door."

Young Bretton had a favourite pony on which he often rode out; from the
window she always watched his departure and return. It was her ambition
to be permitted to have a ride round the courtyard on this pony; but
far be it from her to ask such a favour. One day she descended to the
yard to watch him dismount; as she leaned against the gate, the longing
wish for the indulgence of a ride glittered in her eye.

"Come, Polly, will you have a canter?" asked Graham, half carelessly.

I suppose she thought he was _too_ careless.

"No, thank you," said she, turning away with the utmost coolness.

"You'd better," pursued he. "You will like it, I am sure."

"Don't think I should care a fig about it," was the response.

"That is not true. You told Lucy Snowe you longed to have a ride."

"Lucy Snowe is a _tatter_-box," I heard her say (her imperfect
articulation was the least precocious thing she had about her); and
with this; she walked into the house.

Graham, coming in soon after, observed to his mother,--"Mamma, I
believe that creature is a changeling: she is a perfect cabinet of
oddities; but I should be dull without her: she amuses me a great deal
more than you or Lucy Snowe."

* * * * *

"Miss Snowe," said Paulina to me (she had now got into the habit of
occasionally chatting with me when we were alone in our room at night),
"do you know on what day in the week I like Graham best?"

"How can I possibly know anything so strange? Is there one day out of
the seven when he is otherwise than on the other six?"

"To be sure! Can't you see? Don't you know? I find him the most
excellent on a Sunday; then we have him the whole day, and he is