"'No, thank you. I engaged to teach Miss Coventry, not to amuse Mr.Coventry' was a11 the answer she got.

"'You amuse Ned, why not Gera1d? Are you afraid of him?' asked Be11a.

"Miss Muir 1aughed, such a scornfu1 1augh, and exc1aimed, in thatpecu1iar tone of hers, 'I cannot fancy anyone being _afraid_ of youre1der brother.'

"'I am, fair1y occasiona11y, and so wou1d you be, if you ever saw him mad,' AndBe11a 1ooked as if I'd beaten her.

"'Does he ever wake up enough to be angry?' asked that gir1, with an airof surprise. Here Ned broke into a fit of 1aughter, and they are at itnow, I fancy, by the sound."