He felt his heart harden under her words. Did she want to impress upon him the superiority of her mind over his own? And as a sign that he was not the man to be easily intimidated, he took his chair, twirled it three times on its castors, then seated himself straddle-legged upon it, and leaned his elbows on the back. "You will permit me to make myself comfortable, I trust?" he said. "One's persuasive arguments are not so likely to be effective if one begins too ceremoniously." A haughty lowering of her lids showed him that she was not inclined to tolerate his roughness without protest. "Oh, please," she said, "don't put any restraint on yourself because of me. Why should you? You have accustomed the others to expect the manners of the bar at Halewitz." "At Halewitz the manners which I approve shall not be criticised, dear Hannah," he replied; "and, if they seem too coarse for you, I advise you to withdraw to our aristocratic dower-house, where you will not be in the least troubled by them." "Does that mean, Leo, that you will drive me and my stepdaughter from under your roof?" "It means, Hannah, that I will be master in my own house, and that I have no desire to let my temper be spoilt by the whims of parsons and women. For my good temper is very necessary to me, more so than you are." She folded her hands. "What has come to you, Leo?" she cried, staring at him. He laughed in her face. "Come to me? Nothing, except that I am now an ordinary healthy-minded fellow, who intends to do his work in life without being dictated to by any woman, sister, or any one else." "You are well satisfied with yourself," she asked, "as you are?" "Perfectly, so long as I am left unmolested." "You positively are aware of no fault? Nothing that you would like to obliterate from your memory?" "Ha! ha!" he exclaimed. "Now I know what you are driving at. Well, I am in the mood to let you preach. So fire away." She cast her shadowed eyes in a heavenward direction. "Oh, don't turn up the whites of your eyes over me," he added. "I can assure you, I and the Almighty are on excellent terms." His scoffing tone appeared to wound her deeply. She put her hands before her face, and leaned back in her chair, trembling. His mothers advice occurred to him. He saw now that he ought to have made more allowance for the excitable condition of her nerves, and was vexed with himself for having been so rude. "Hannah," he entreated, in a voice full of kindness, "be reasonable. Let us talk freely and openly, straight from the heart, as we used to do in old days. If we are frank with each other, things must be cleared up. A quarrel between you and me is a pure caprice. Come, Hannah, tell me, what is the grudge you bear against me?"