‘You don’t want it?’ he said, with what may have been meant for a winning smile. ‘No,’ came like a little icicle from her lips. Myles with difficulty sat still; but, making an effort, continued quiet, though watching the game with a deeper interest than before. The twilight had grown almost into darkness by this time. The attendant, perhaps not knowing that any one was in the room, had not yet lighted the gas. Mr. Spenceley took the paper, but, without even pretending to look at it, said in a tone of under-bred badinage, ‘Isn’t it rather dark to be reading, Miss--a----’ She raised her eyes this time, and caught those of the speaker fixed full upon her. Her own were instantly averted, with an expression of cold contempt and disgust, and she made no reply. ‘I assure you it’s very bad for the eyes to read by this half-light--very trying. Hadn’t I better tell the fellah to light the gas? I am sure you will spoil your eyes, and that would be a pity,’ with a winning simper, which made Myles’s fist clench with an intense desire to do him some horrible violence. ‘Don’t you really think I had better?’ he pursued, evidently bent upon making her speak. At last he succeeded. ‘Be good enough to mind your own business, without addressing me,’ said she, in a voice which, thought Myles, was sufficient to have rebuffed the veriest cur that ever called itself by the name of man. With that she quietly, by slightly altering the position of her chair, turned her back upon Mr. Spenceley, while her profile, with frowning brow and indignantly compressed lips, was plainly visible to Myles. Mr. Spenceley laughed, not so musically as a lady-killer should be able to laugh, and remarked: ‘I feel it my business to prevent a young lady from spoiling her eyes, and----’ Steadying his voice with some difficulty into something like indifference, Myles turned to him and said, ‘Don’t you know that talking is forbidden here?’ The look which he received in answer made him smile, despite his inner indignation. Mr. Spenceley contemplated him with a stare, which was unfortunately not so regal as it might have been; then, raising a single eyeglass, he stuck it into one eye, and surveyed the audacious speaker anew, as if his wonder at what had occurred could never be sufficiently satisfied. ‘Will yah mind yah own business, and leave gentlemen to mind they-aws?’ he at last drawled out, with magnificent disdain. ‘When I see the gentleman I shall be quite ready to leave him to mind his own business,’ was the placid retort. ‘In the meantime, as the young lady wishes to read, and I wish to read, and you disturb us with your chatter, perhaps you will kindly hold your tongue.’ Here Mr. Spenceley resolved upon a master-stroke. Turning his broadcloth-clad back upon Myles, he tilted his chair back so as to see the young lady better, and inquired, ‘Do you know the fellah, Miss--a----?’