usy! Jealousy! Why, what do you mean?"

"Simply that there was a time when _he_ thought _you_ his rival, and it
was just possible you might have reciprocated the sentiment."

"This is intolerable," cried he. Then hastily checking his angry
outburst, he added: "Why should we grow warm, Florence dearest, over a
matter which can have but one aspect for us both? It is of you, not of
myself I have been thinking all this time. I simply begged you to let
me know what sort of relations existed between you and Mr. Calvert that
should prevent you speaking of him to me."

"You said something about insisting. Now, insisting is an ugly word.
There is an air of menace about it."

"I am not disposed to recall it," said he, sternly.

"So much the better; at least it will save us a world of very unpleasant
recrimination, for I refuse to comply."

"You refuse! Now let me understand you, for this is too vital a point
for me at least to make any mistake about--what is it that you refuse?"

"Don't you think the tone of our present discussion is the best possible
reason for not prolonging it?"

"No! If we have each of us; lost temper, I think the wisest course would
be to recover ourselves, and see if we cannot talk the matter over in a
better spirit."

"Begin then by unsaying that odious word."

"What is the word?"

"Insist! You must not insist upon anything."

"I'll take back the word if you so earnestly desire it, Florence," said
he gravely; "but I hope request will be read in its place."

"Now, then, what is it you request? for I frankly declare that all this
time I don't rightly understand what you ask of me."

"This is worse than I suspected," said he angrily, "for now I see that
it is in the mere spirit of defiance that you rejected my demand."

"Upon my word, Sir, I believe it will turn out that neither of us knew
very much of the other."

"You think so?"

"Yes; don't you?"

He grew very pale, and made no answer, though he twice seemed as if
about to speak.

"I declare," cried she, and her heightened colour and flashing eye
showed the temper that stirred her--"I declare I think we shall have
employed all our lately displayed candour to very little advantage if it
does not carry us a little further."

"I scarcely catch your meaning," said he, in a low voice.

"What I meant was, that by a little further effort of our frankness
we might come to convey to each other that scenes like these are not
pleasant, nor