At last, looking up with the air of one who has taken a mighty resolve, she said, "I presume such a keen observer as yourself must have noticed that the most reserved people are, on some occasions, the most frank and direct. I am going to tell you that I feel some apology due to you, if my first impressions of your character are really incorrect. I am puzzled what to think." "I am to suppose that your first impressions were not as favorable as those of Mrs. Black, whom I heard remark that I was an amiable youth, with an uncommonly pleasant smile." "Just the opposite, in fact,--pardon me! To my eye, you had a mocking, ironical cast of countenance. I felt sure at once you were the sort of person I never could make a _friend_ of, and acquaintances I leave to Flora, who wants to know every body. I thought the less I had to do with you the better." I felt hurt, and almost insulted. I had not been mistaken, then; she had disliked me, and perhaps disliked me yet. "It was not that I stood in fear of your satire," she continued; "I am indifferent to ridicule or censure in general; no one but a _friend_ has power to wound me." A flattering emphasis, truly! I felt my temper a little stirred by Miss Etty's frankness. I was sulkily silent. "_I_ had no claim to any forbearance, any consideration for peculiarities of any sort. I am perfectly resigned to being the theme of your wit in any circle, if you can find aught in _my_ country-bred ways to amuse you." Zounds! I must speak. "My conduct to Flora must have confirmed the charming impression produced by my unlucky phiz, I imagine. But don't bear malice against me in _her_ behalf; you must have seen that she was perfectly able to revenge herself." Etty's light-hearted laugh rung out, and reminded me of my once baffled curiosity when it reached my ear from Norah's domain. But though this unsuppressed mirth of hers revealed the prettiest row of teeth in the world, and made the whole face decidedly beautiful, somehow or other it gave me no pleasure, but rather a feeling of depression. My joining in it was pure pretence. Presently the brightness faded, and I found myself gazing at the cold countenance of Little Ugly again. "No, I did not refer to Flora," said she. "As you say, she can avenge her own quarrel, and we both were quite as ready to laugh at you, as you could be to laugh at us, I assure you." "No doubt of it," said I, with some pique. "But what I cannot forgive you, cannot think of with any toleration, is--" "What?" cried I, astonished. "How have I offended?" "A man of any right feeling at all could not make game of an aged woman, his own relative, at the same time that he was receiving her hearty and affectionate hospitality."