door lest I should retreat, he rather charged than desired me to
explain my late "chilling demeanour."

Almost startled by his apparent entire ignorance of deserving it,
I found an awkwardness I had not foreseen in making myself
understood. I wished him rather to feel than be told the
improprieties I meant to obviate - and I did what was possible by
half evasive, half expressive answers, to call back his own
recollection and consciousness. In vain, however, was the
attempt; he protested himself wholly innocent, and that he would
rather make an end of his existence than give me offence.

He saw not these very protestations were again doing it, and he
grew so vehement in his defence, and so reproachful in his
accusation of unjust usage, that I was soon totally in a
perplexity how to extricate myself from a difficulty I had
regarded simply as his own. The moment he saw I grew
embarrassed, he redoubled his challenges to know the cause of my
"ill-treatment." I assured him, then, I could never reckon
silence ill-treatment.

"Yes," he cried, "yes, from you it is ill-treatment, and it has
given me the most serious uneasiness."
"I am sorry," I said, "for that, and did not mean it."

"Not mean it?" cried be. "Could you imagine I should miss your
conversation, your ease, your pleasantness, your gaiety, and take
no notice of the loss?"

Then followed a most violent flow of compliments, ending with a