I quailed momentarily--then I rallied.

Soft scene, daring demonstration, I would not have; and I stood in peril of both: a weapon of defence must be prepared--I whetted my tongue: as he reached me, I asked with asperity, "whom he was going to marry now ?" "That was a strange question to be put by his darling Jane." "Indeed! I considered it a very natural and necessary one: he had talked of his future wife dying with him.

What did he mean by such a pagan idea?
_I_ had no intention of dying with him--he might depend on that." "Oh, all he longed, all he prayed for, was that I might live with him! Death was not for such as I." "Indeed it was: I had as good a right to die when my time came as he had: but I should bide that time, and not be hurried away in a suttee." "Would I forgive him for the selfish idea, and prove my pardon by a reconciling kiss ?" "No: I would rather be excused." Here I heard myself apostrophised as a "hard little thing;" and it was added, "any other woman would have been melted to marrow at hearing such stanzas crooned in her praise." I assured him I was naturally hard--very flinty, and that he would often find me so; and that, moreover, I was determined to show him divers rugged points in my character before the ensuing four weeks elapsed: he should know fully what sort of a bargain he had made, while there was yet time to rescind it.
"Would I be quiet and talk rationally ?" "I would be quiet if he liked, and as to talking rationally, I flattered myself I was doing that now." He fretted, pished, and pshawed.

"Very good," I thought; "you may fume and fidget as you please: but this is the best plan to pursue with you, I am certain.

I like you more than I can say; but I'll not sink into a bathos of sentiment: and with this needle of repartee I'll keep you from the edge of the gulf too; and, moreover, maintain by its pungent aid that distance between you and myself most conducive to our real mutual advantage." From less to more, I worked him up to considerable irritation; then, after he had retired, in dudgeon, quite to the other end of the room, I got up, and saying, "I wish you good-night, sir," in my natural and wonted respectful manner, I slipped out by the side-door and got away.
The system thus entered on, I pursued during the whole season of probation; and with the best success.