And she gave her dress a great slap, and drew near me, in her wrath. I really thought she was about tendering the ordeal of single combat. I made her, however, a paralysing courtesy, and, with immense dignity, sailed out of the room, and into Uncle Silas's study, where it happened we were to breakfast that morning, and for several subsequent ones. During the meal we maintained the most dignified reserve; and I don't think either so much as looked at the other. We had no walk together that day. I was sitting in the evening, quite alone, when Milly entered the room. Her eyes were red, and she looked very sullen. 'I want your hand, cousin,' she said, at the same time taking it by the wrist, and administering with it a sudden slap on her plump cheek, which made the room ring, and my fingers tingle; and before I had recovered from my surprise, she had vanished. I called after her, but no answer; I pursued, but she was running too; and I quite lost her at the cross galleries. I did not see her at tea, nor before going to bed; but after I had fallen asleep I was awakened by Milly, in floods of tears. 'Cousin Maud, will ye forgi' me--you'll never like me again, will ye? No--I know ye won't--I'm such a brute--I hate it--it's a shame. And here's a Banbury cake for you--I sent to the town for it, and some taffy--won't ye eat it? and here's a little ring--'tisn't as pretty as your own rings; and ye'll wear it, maybe, for my sake--poor Milly's sake, before I was so bad to ye--if ye forgi' me; and I'll look at breakfast, and if it's on your finger I'll know you're friends wi' me again; and if ye don't, I won't trouble you no more; and I think I'll just drown myself out o' the way, and you'll never see wicked Milly no more.' And without waiting a moment, leaving me only half awake, and with the sensations of dreaming, she scampered from the room, in her bare feet, with a petticoat about her shoulders. She had left her candle by my bed, and her little offerings on the coverlet by me. If I had stood an atom less in terror of goblins than I did, I should have followed her, but I was afraid. I stood in my bare feet at my bedside, and kissed the poor little ring and put it on my finger, where it has remained ever since and always shall. And when I lay down, longing for morning, the image of her pale, imploring, penitential face was before me for hours; and I repented bitterly of my cool provoking ways, and thought myself, I dare say justly, a thousand times more to blame than Milly.