"To think," she said to herself, "that he was so good to us when we went
to see him; and Hannah is so rude to him, now he has come to see us! It
is a shame! And see how well he bears it all, too, sitting there warming
his poor white hands."
In fact, the good humor of the young man was imperturbable. He sat
there, as Nora observed, smiling and spreading his hands out over the
genial blaze and seeking to talk amicably with Hannah, and feeling
compensated for all the rebuffs he received from the elder sister
whenever he encountered a compassionate glance from the younger,
although at the meeting of their eyes her glance was instantly withdrawn
and succeeded by fiery blushes. He stayed as long as he had the least
excuse for doing so, and then arose to take his leave, half smiling at
Hannah's inhospitable surliness and his own perseverance under
difficulties. He went up to Nora to bid her good-by. He took her hand,
and as he gently pressed it he looked into her eyes; but hers fell
beneath his gaze; and with a simple "Good-day, Nora," he turned away.
Hannah stood holding the cottage door wide open for his exit.
"Good morning, Hannah," he said smilingly, as he passed out.
She stepped after him, saying: "Mr. Brudenell, sir, I must beg you not to come so far out of your way
again to bring us a fish. We thank you; but we could not accept it. This
also I must request you to take away." And detaching the rock fish from
the nail where it hung, she put it in his hands.
He laughed good-humoredly as he took it, and without further answer than
a low bow walked swiftly down the hill.
Hannah re-entered the hut and found herself in the midst of a tempest in
a tea-pot.
Nora had a fiery temper of her own, and now it blazed out upon her
sister--her beautiful face was stormy with grief and indignation as she
exclaimed: "Oh, Hannah! how could you act so shamefully? To think that yesterday
you and I ate and drank and feasted and danced all day at his place, and
received so much kindness and attention from him besides, and to-day you
would scarcely let him sit down and warm his feet in ours! You treated
him worse than a dog, you did, Hannah. And he felt it, too. I saw he
did, though he was too much of a gentleman to show it! And as for me, I
could have died from mortification!"