lashed at him as he said it told that she resented
it.

One afternoon, when he was in the parlor chatting with Gussie, Dexie came
into the room on some errand, and her slight bow of recognition gave him an
opportunity to ask, in his sneering manner, if she was "keeping her smiles
for the disconsolate lovers she had left behind her in Halifax?"

A sharp retort rose to her lips, but she repressed it, and her lip curled
with scorn as she answered his sallies in the coolest terms that common
civility allowed. He might as well have tried his cutting speeches on an
iceberg for all the satisfaction he received, so he dropped back to the
only source of annoyance at his command.

"Can I trouble you for a drink of water, Miss _Dexter_?" he said, with a
malicious grin.

Dexie took no notice of this request, knowing it was made only for the
purpose of using her detested name.

He repeated his request a second time, and even Gussie flushed at his
offensive tone, though she called Dexie's attention to the request.

"Dexie, Mr. Plaisted asks for a drink. Where are your manners?"

"I have sent them away for repairs, Gussie dear," Dexie replied, in her
sweetest tone, "and I fear they will not be returned to me until after Mr.
Plaisted has taken his departure. Very sorry, but they have experienced
such a strain these few days past that they were about worn out."

"Dexie, I am ashamed of you! Bring a drink of water for Mr. Plaisted
directly!"

"My dearest Gussie, if Mr. Plaisted wants a drink, pray get it for him
yourself," was the soft and sweet reply, "for he will surely die of thirst
before Dexter brings him a drop. Allow me to suggest that, as an
alternative, you can ring for the servant to wait on him, or lead him to
the pump like any other--beast," and unmoved by the looks cast upon her she
passed into the next room.

"You brought that upon yourself, Mr. Plaisted, but I am very, very sorry,"
said Gussie, who felt all the insolence of the words that were spoken with
such suavity. "Why will you call her _Dexter_ when you know that it makes
her throw aside all civility?"

"Well, it _is_ too bad, I will allow," replied Plaisted, "but I own that I
have only myself to blame when I provoke her into making such stinging
retorts; but the temptation to tease her is irresistible, and I owe her for
a good many tricks she has played on me."

"Well, were I in your place, I would not call her 'Dexter' any more; though
if your experie