“What's come over you, Annie?” asked Hunt briskly. “Are you talked out so soon? I suppose she is holding back to give you a chance to make my acquaintance, Miss Roberts, or do let me call you Lou. You must improve your opportunity, for she will want to know your opinion of me. May I hope it will prove not wholly unfavorable?” This last was with a killing smile. “I had no idea it was so late. We must be going,” said Miss Roberts, rising. She had been lingering, in the hope that something would happen to leave a more pleasant impression of Hunt's appearance, but seeing that matters were drifting from bad to worse, she hastened to break off the painful scene. Annie rose silently without saying a word, and avoided Lou's eyes as she kissed her good-by. “Must you go?” Hunt said. “I 'm sure you would not be in such haste if you knew how rarely it is that my engagements leave me free to devote an evening to the ladies. You might call on Annie a dozen times and not meet me.” As soon as the callers had gone, Hunt picked up the evening paper and sat down to glance it over, remarking lightly as he did so:-- “Rather nice girl, your friend, though she does n't seem very talkative.” Annie made no reply, and he looked up. “What on earth are you staring at me in such an extraordinary manner for?” Was he then absolutely unconscious of the figure he had made of himself? “You are not vexed because I went out and left you in the early part of the evening?” he said anxiously. “Oh, no, indeed,” she wearily replied. She sat there with trembling lip and a red spot in each cheek, looking at him as he read the paper unconcernedly, till she could bear it no longer, and then silently rose and glided out of the room. Hunt heard her running upstairs as fast as she could, and closing and locking her chamber door. Next day he did not see her till evening, when she was exceedingly cold and distant, and evidently very much depressed. After bombarding her with grieved and reproachful glances for some time, he came over to her side, they two having been left alone, and said, with affectionate raillery:-- “I 'd no idea you were so susceptible to the green-eyed monster.” She looked at him, astonished quite out of her reserve. “What on earth do you mean?” “Oh, you need n't pretend to misunderstand,” he replied, with a knowing nod. “Don't you suppose I saw how vexed you were last night when your dear friend Miss Roberts was trying to flirt with me? But you need n't have minded so much. She is n't my style at all.”