oolly."

"Have you never spoken of her in a way to have your words
misinterpreted by some evil-minded person--Mrs. Grimes, for
instance--whose memory, or moral sense, one or the other, is very
dull?"

"I have never spoken of her to any one, except in terms of praise. I
could not do otherwise, for I look upon her as one of the most
faultless women I know."

"She has at least shown that she possesses one fault."

"What is that?"

"If she has heard any thing against you of a character so serious as
to make her wish to give up your acquaintance, she should at least
have afforded you the chance of defending yourself before condemning
you."

"I think that, myself."

"It may be that she did not see you," Mr. Comegys suggested.

"She looked me in the face, and nodded with cold formality."

"Perhaps her mind was abstracted."

"It might have been so. Mine would have been very abstracted,
indeed, to keep me from a more cordial recognition of a friend."

"How would it do to call and see her?"

"I have been thinking of that. But my feelings naturally oppose it.
I am not conscious of having done any thing to merit a withdrawal of
the friendly sentiments she has held towards me; still, if she
wishes to withdraw them, my pride says, let her do so."

"But pride, you know, is not always the best adviser."

"No. Perhaps the less regard we pay to its promptings, the better."

"I think so."

"It is rather awkward to go to a person and ask why you have been
treated coldly."

"I know it is. But in a choice of evils, is it not always wisest to
choose the least?"

"But is any one's bad opinion of you, if it be not correctly formed,
an evil?"

"Certainly it is."

"I don't know. I have a kind of independence about me which says,
'Let people think what they please, so you are conscious of no
wrong.'"

"Indifference to the world's good or bad opinion is all very well,"
replied the husband, "if the world will misjudge us. Still, as any
thing that prejudices the minds of people against us, tends to
destroy our usefulness, it is our duty to take all proper care of
our reputations, even to the sacrifice of a little feeling in doing
so."

Thus argued with by her husband, Mrs. Comegys, after turning the
matter over in her mind, finally concluded to go and see Mrs.
Markle. It was a pretty hard trial for her, but urged on by a sense
of right, she called upon her two or three days after having been
treated so coldly. She sen