tilt in your step as you came up. It's all right. Shall we try for our
friend's meaning, now?"

Clementina began again, and again Milray stopped her. "You mustn't bear
malice. I can hear the grudge in your voice; but I didn't mean to laugh
at you. You don't like being made fun of, do you?"

"I don't believe anybody does," said Clementina.

"No, indeed," said Milray. "If I had tried such a thing I should be
afraid you would make it uncomfortable for me. But I haven't, have I?"

"I don't know," said Clementina, reluctantly.

Milray laughed gleefully. "Well, you'll forgive me, because I'm an old
fellow. If I were young, you wouldn't, would you?"

Clementina thought of the clerk; she had certainly never forgiven him.
"Shall I read on?" she asked.

"Yes, yes. Read on," he said, respectfully. Once he interrupted her to
say that she pronounced admirable, but he would like now and then to
differ with her about a word if she did not mind. She answered, Oh no,
indeed; she should like it ever so much, if he would tell her when she
was wrong. After that he corrected her, and he amused himself by studying
forms of respect so delicate that they should not alarm her pride;
Clementina reassured him in terms as fine as his own. She did not accept
his instructions implicitly; she meant to bring them to the bar of
Gregory's knowledge. If he approved of them, then she would submit.