'I can't let you have it, indeed!' 'Let me have its bowels then,' said he; and just as I wrenched the portfolio from his hand, he deftly abstracted the greater part of its contents, and after turning them over a moment he cried out,--'Bless my stars, here's another;' and slipped a small oval of ivory paper into his waistcoat pocket--a complete miniature portrait that I had sketched with such tolerable success as to be induced to colour it with great pains and care.

But I was determined he should not keep it.
'Mr.Huntingdon,' cried I, 'I insist upon having that back! It is mine, and you have no right to take it.

Give it me directly--I'll never forgive you if you don't!' But the more vehemently I insisted, the more he aggravated my distress by his insulting, gleeful laugh.

At length, however, he restored it to me, saying,--'Well, well, since you value it so much, I'll not deprive you of it.' To show him how I valued it, I tore it in two and threw it into the fire.
He was not prepared for this.

His merriment suddenly ceasing, he stared in mute amazement at the consuming treasure; and then, with a careless 'Humph! I'll go and shoot now,' he turned on his heel and vacated the apartment by the window as he came, and setting on his hat with an air, took up his gun and walked away, whistling as he went--and leaving me not too much agitated to finish my picture, for I was glad, at the moment, that I had vexed him.
When I returned to the drawing-room, I found Mr.Boarham had ventured to follow his comrades to the field; and shortly after lunch, to which they did not think of returning, I volunteered to accompany the ladies in a walk, and show Annabella and Milicent the beauties of the country.