"It is rather late in the day to make this discovery! Why didn't she find it out before? Humph!" Meanwhile, Kate had thrown herself across her bed, where she lay, weeping bitterly. What a storm had suddenly been blown about their ears! It was fully an hour before Frederick Lee's disturbed feelings began to run at all clear. He was both surprised and offended. What could all this mean? What had all at once come over his young wife? "A country clod-hopper!" he muttered to himself over and over again. "Ungraceful--ungenteel, and all that! Very complimentary, indeed!" When Lee joined his wife in their chamber, two hours after she had left him, he found that she had retired to bed and was sleeping. On the next morning both looked very sober, and both were cold and distant. A few words only passed between them. It was the same when they met at dinner-time, and the same when Lee came home in the evening. During the whole of this day, the thought of each was upon the other; but it was not a forgiving thought. Kate cherished angry feelings toward her husband; and Lee continued to be offended at the freedom of expression which his young wife had ventured to use toward him. Of course, both were very unhappy. The formal intercourse of the tea-table having ended, Lee, feeling little inclined to pass the evening with his reserved and sober-looking partner, put on his hat, and merely remarking that he would not return until bed-time, left the house. This act startled Kate. With the jar of the closing door came a gush of tears. The evening was passed alone. How wretched she felt as the hours moved slowly on! It was nearly eleven o'clock when Lee came home. By that time, the mind of Kate was in an agony of suspense. More than once the thought that he had abandoned her intruded itself, and filled her with fear and anguish. What a relief to her feelings it was when she heard the rattle of his night-key in the lock! But she could not meet him with a smile. She could not throw her arms around his neck, and press her hot cheek to his. No: for she felt that he was angry with her without just cause, and had visited with unjust severity a light offence--if, so far as she was concerned, her act were worthy to be called an offence. And so they looked coldly upon each other when they met, and then averted their eyes. The morning broke, but with no fairer promise of a sunny day. Clouds obscured their whole horizon. Coldly they parted after the brief and scarcely tasted meal. How wretched they were! During the forenoon, Mrs. Morton, the friend of Mrs. Lee, called in to see her young friend. "Why, Kate! What has happened?" she exclaimed, the moment she saw her. Mrs. Lee tried to smile and look indifferent, as she answered-- "Happened? Why do you say that?" "You look as if you hadn't a friend left in the world!" "And I don't know that I have," said Mrs. Lee, losing, all at once, her self-command, and permitting the ready tears to gush forth.