“Oh, no; not incredulous, but very much astonished. I am, it is true, sufficiently accustomed to find myself in request in my own narrow home circle, but that any one out of it should come three yards--not to say three miles--to speak to me, is, I own, very new and very strange.” “Is not this profession of humility a little--a very little--bit of exaggeration, Miss Dill?” “Is not the remark you have made on it a little--a very little--bit of a liberty, Mr. Conyers?” So little was he prepared for this retort that he flushed up to his forehead, and for an instant was unable to recover himself: meanwhile, she was busy in rescuing Scratch from a long bramble that had most uncomfortably associated itself with his tail, in gratitude for which service the beast jumped up on her with all the uncouth activity of his race. “He at least, Miss Dill, can take liberties unrebuked,” said Conyers, with irritation. “We are very old friends, sir, and understand each other's humors, not to say that Scratch knows well he 'd be tied up if he were to transgress.” Conyers smiled; an almost irresistible desire to utter a smartness crossed his mind, and he found it all but impossible to resist saying something about accepting the bonds if he could but accomplish the transgression; but he bethought in time how unequal the war of banter would be between them, and it was with a quiet gravity he began: “I came to speak to you about Tom--” “Why, is that not all off? Colonel Hunter represented the matter so forcibly to my father, put all the difficulties so clearly before him, that I actually wrote to my brother, who had started for Dublin, begging him on no account to hasten the day of his examination, but to come home and devote himself carefully to the task of preparation.” “It is true, the Colonel never regarded the project as I did, and saw obstacles to its success which never occurred to me; with all that, however, he never convinced me I was wrong.” “Perhaps not always an easy thing to do,” said she, dryly. “Indeed! You seem to have formed a strong opinion on the score of my firmness.” “I was expecting you to say obstinacy,” said she, laughing, “and was half prepared with a most abject retractation. At all events, I was aware that you did not give way.” “And is the quality such a bad one?” “Just as a wind may be said to be a good or a bad one; due west, for instance, would be very unfavorable if you were bound to New York.” It was the second time he had angled for a compliment, and failed; and he walked along at her side, fretful and discontented. “I begin to suspect,” said he, at last, “that the Colonel was far more eager to make himself agreeable here than to give fair play to my reasons.” “He was delightful, if you mean that; he possesses the inestimable boon of good spirits, which is the next thing to a good heart.” “You don't like depressed people, then?”