"Will you ride home?" he asked. "And shall I take you down to Bancroft's, Miss Helen?" She would have declined, but I took her arm, pushed her into the chaise, and then sprang in after her; she seized the hand-loop, in view of an upset. "You are afraid of my horse, Miss Helen," he said, without having looked at her. "I am afraid of your driving," she answered, leaning back and looking behind him at me. She shook her head and put her finger on her eyelid to make me understand that she did not like the color of his eyes. "Cassandra is afraid of neither," he said. "Why should I be?" I replied coldly. We were soon at the Bancrofts', where Helen lived, which was a mile from the Academy, and half a mile from our house. When we were going home, he asked: "Is she your intimate friend?" "The most in school." "Is there the usual nonsense about her?" "What do you mean by nonsense?" "When a girl talks about her lover or proposes one to her friend." "I think she is not gifted that way." "Then I like her." "Why should she not talk about lovers, though? The next time I see her I will bring up the subject." "You shall think and talk of your lessons, and nothing more, I charge you. Go on, Nell," he said, in a loud voice, turning into the yard and grazing one of the gate-posts, so that we struck together. I was vexed, thinking it was done purposely, and brushed my shoulder where he came in contact, as if dust had fallen on me, and jumped out without looking at him, and ran into the house. "Are you losing your skill in driving, Charles?" Alice asked, when we were at tea, "or is Nell too much for you? I saw you crash against the gate-post." "Did you? My hand was not steady, and we made a lurch." "Was there a fight at the mills last night? Jesse said so." "Jesse must mind his business." "He told Phoebe about it." "I knocked one of the clerks over and sprained my wrist." I met his eye then. "It was your right hand?" I asked. "It was my right hand," in a deferential tone, and with a slight bow in my direction. "Was it Parker?" she asked. "Yes, he is a puppy; but don't talk about it." Nothing more was said, even by Edward, who observed his father with childish gravity, I meditated on the injustice I had done him about the gate-post. After tea he busied himself in the garden among the flowers which were still remaining. I lingered in the parlor or walked the piazza with an undefined desire of speaking to him before I should go to my room. After he had finished his garden work he went to the stable; I heard the horses stepping about the floor as they were taken out for his inspection. The lamps were lighted before he came in again; Alice was upstairs as usual. When I heard him coming, I opened my book, and seated myself in a corner of a sofa; he walked to the window without noticing me, and drummed on the piano. "Does your wrist pain you, Charles?" still reading. "A trifle," adjusting his wristband.