CHAPTER V. “’Twas night, calm night, the moon was high.” _Ancient Mariner._ Teazer and I had very little to say to each other for the rest of the evening. I was really so afraid of her that I had not the courage to be polite. When I offered to take her cup from her, she looked at me so angrily and clung to the saucer so tenaciously that I might well have thought she regarded me as a thief, who wanted to make away with her father’s crockery. Her manners were deplorably vulgar. She lay back in an arm-chair, and stuck her legs out in such a way that I wondered her father didn’t jump up and kick them in. And what extraordinary delusion could he be labouring under in believing her well-read? He left the room for a short time during the evening, and finding myself alone with my half-civilised cousin, I felt myself under an obligation to address her. Willing to take her father’s word that she was well-read, I thought I would get her upon the subject of books, and asked her that very tea-party question, who was her favourite author. “The ‘Family Herald,’” she answered. I burst into a laugh. Her reply was so ridiculous, that I couldn’t have preserved my gravity had she even produced her revolver. “Your papa told me,” said I, “that you are a very great reader.” “And what right have you to doubt his word?” “Pray don’t think I do,” I stammered, rendered somewhat apprehensive by a gleam in her eyes. “What made you laugh at me?” “I thought you were laughing at me.” “Don’t flatter yourself,” she exclaimed, with an air of great contempt. “I must like people to laugh at them.” Offended, and even disgusted, I turned away from her; but looking round a moment after, with the intention of speaking, I caught her smiling, though the smile instantly vanished when our eyes met. “Miss Hargrave, it is very plain,” said I, “that I am an unwelcome guest. Had I foreseen the annoyance my intrusion would have caused you, I should certainly not have accepted your father’s invitation. However, I must entreat you to bear with me until to-morrow, when I will take care to please you by returning to Updown.” “I have not asked you to go,” she answered. “You are not my guest, but my father’s. He asked you down for himself, not for me; so, providing you don’t trouble me, you may stop as long as you please.” “Trouble you!” I exclaimed, warmly. “How have I troubled you? I have only been in the house a few hours. But I can remedy that by asking your father to allow me to use the library, or any room but this, until the train leaves to-morrow, and then we need not meet.” “I hope you are not going to turn out a tale-bearer, and set my father against me.” “What in heaven’s name do you mean?” “Oh, you are quite welcome to swear, sir. But let me assure you, I am not to be frightened by oaths.”