painting darkening the wall.

Ginevra was long in coming: tedious seemed her loitering. M. Paul was
still there; my ear expected from his lips an angry tone. He came
nearer. "Now for another hiss!" thought I: had not the action been too
uncivil I could have, stopped my ears with my fingers in terror of the
thrill. Nothing happens as we expect: listen for a coo or a murmur; it
is then you will hear a cry of prey or pain. Await a piercing shriek,
an angry threat, and welcome an amicable greeting, a low kind whisper.
M. Paul spoke gently:--"Friends," said he, "do not quarrel for a word.
Tell me, was it I or ce grand fat d'Anglais" (so he profanely
denominated Dr. Bretton), "who made your eyes so humid, and your cheeks
so hot as they are even now?"

"I am not conscious of you, monsieur, or of any other having excited
such emotion as you indicate," was my answer; and in giving it, I again
surpassed my usual self, and achieved a neat, frosty falsehood.

"But what did I say?" he pursued; "tell me: I was angry: I have
forgotten my words; what were they?"

"Such as it is best to forget!" said I, still quite calm and chill.

"Then it was _my_ words which wounded you? Consider them unsaid: permit
my retractation; accord my pardon."

"I am not angry, Monsieur."

"Then you are worse than angry--grieved. Forgive me, Miss Lucy."

"M. Emanuel, I _do_ forgive you."

"Let me hear you say, in the voice natural to you, and not in that
alien tone, 'Mon ami, je vous pardonne.'"

He made me smile. Who could help smiling at his wistfulness, his
simplicity, his earnestness?

"Bon!" he cried. "Voila que le jour va poindre! Dites donc, mon ami."

"Monsieur Paul, je vous pardonne."

"I will have no monsieur: speak the other word, or I shall not believe
you sincere: another effort--_mon ami_, or else in English,--my friend!"

Now, "my friend" had rather another sound and significancy than "_mon
ami_;" it did not breathe the same sense of domestic and intimate
affection; "_mon ami_" I could _not_ say to M. Paul; "my friend," I
could, and did say without difficulty. This distinction existed not for
him, however, and he was quite satisfied with the English phrase. He
smiled. You should have seen him smile, reader; and you should have
marked the difference between his countenance now, and that he wore
half an hour ago. I cannot affirm that I had ever witnessed the smile
of pleasure, or content, or kindness round M. Paul's lips, or in h