"I am at
monsieur's ORDERS."

Then this unhappy novice, being naturally good-natured, thanked her
again and again for her condescension in setting his heart at rest. He
proposed a walk, since his interference had lost her one. She yielded
a cold assent. This vexed him, but he took it for granted it would wear
off before the end of the walk. Edouard's heart bounded, but he loved
her too sincerely to be happy unless he could see her happy too; the
malicious thing saw this, or perhaps knew it by instinct, and by means
of this good feeling of his she revenged herself for his tyranny. She
tortured him as only a woman can torture, and as even she can torture
only a worthy man, and one who loves her. In the course of that short
walk this inexperienced girl, strong in the instincts and inborn arts
of her sex, drove pins and needles, needles and pins, of all sorts and
sizes, through her lover's heart.

She was everything by turns, except kind, and nothing for long together.
She was peevish, she was ostentatiously patient and submissive, she was
inattentive to her companion and seemingly wrapped up in contemplation
of absent things and persons, the colonel to wit; she was dogged,
repulsive, and cold; and she never was herself a single moment. They
returned to the gate of the Pleasaunce. "Well, mademoiselle," said
Riviere very sadly, "that interloper might as well have been with us."

"Of course he might, and you would have lost nothing by permitting me
to be courteous to a guest and an invalid. If you had not played the
tyrant, and taken the matter into your own hands, I should have found
means to soothe your jeal--I mean your vanity; but you preferred to have
your own way. Well, you have had it."

"Yes, mademoiselle, you have given me a lesson; you have shown me how
idle it is to attempt to force a young lady's inclinations in anything."

He bade her good-day, and went away sorrowful.

She cut Camille dead for the rest of the day.

Next morning, early, Edouard called expressly to see her. "Mademoiselle
Rose," said he, humbly, "I called to apologize for the ungentlemanly
tone of my remonstrances yesterday."

"Fiddle-dee," said Rose. "Don't do it again; that is the best apology."

"I am not likely to offend so again," said he sadly. "I am going away. I
am sorry to say I am promoted; my new post is ten leagues. HE WILL HAVE
IT ALL HIS OWN WAY NOW. But perhaps it is best. Were I to stay here, I
foresee you would soon lose