g. Aunt
Tabitha, who yesterday evidently thought me in desperate case, and
once inquired about my income very significantly, now suspected a
quarrel between Flora and me. I was embarrassed, and overturned the
cream. "No great loss," said Etty, seeing that I was chagrined. "As
easy made up as a lovers' quarrel," said Aunt Tabitha. Silly old
woman! No, silly young fellow! Flora has revenged herself on me as she
meant to do, for defying her power. She has turned my head; made me
act like a simpleton. But "Richard's himself again," and wiser than he
was.

_P.M_. I endeavored to talk more with Miss Etty, that the change in my
manner might be less observed. It was all natural that I should be as
grave as a judge when I addressed myself to so quiet a member of
society. She seemed to divine my object, and sustained the dialogue; I
never knew her to do it before. It is not diffidence, it seems, that
has been the cause of this reserve; I was the more diffident of the
two, failing to express my thoughts well, from a hurry and uncertainty
of mind which I am not often troubled withal. It was partly
astonishment, in truth, that confused me. Little Ugly and I actually
exchanging ideas! I shall call her Little Ugly still, however, for I
could not make her look at me as she spoke, nor answer my wit by a
change of countenance.

_Sept. 28th_. Little Handsome cannot be convinced that the flirtation
is over,--absolutely at an end. She alternately rails at my capricious
solemnity, and pretends to be grieved at it. I can see that nothing
but my avoidance of a _tete-a-tete_ is my safety. Should the
sentimental tone prevail, and tears come into those beautiful eyes, I
am a gone man. At my earnest request, (I have grown humble or _bold_
enough to ask a favor,) Miss Etty has brought, or rather dragged, her
work-basket into the parlor. A great basket it is, so great, that I
imagine in her own apartment she gets into the middle of it bodily. I
sat down to watch the motions of her adroit little digits in darning
stockings, and mending homely garments. I imagined, rather than saw, a
humorous gleam in her eye, as I did so, and there was certainly a
slight contraction of her mouth in length, as if to counteract an
inclination of the muscles to move in the opposite direction.

Flora fluttered about the room like a bright-hued butterfly, pausing a
moment at a window or a bookcase, or resting awhile to play a few
capricious notes on the piano, and so