She had
a theory that he had treated her shamefully; and he knew it--I do not
mean the fact, but the theory: which led him to reflect that her
resentments were as shallow as her opinions, inasmuch as if she really
believed in her grievance, or if it had had any dignity, she would not
have consented to see him. He had not presented himself at Miss
Chancellor's door without a very good reason, and having done so he
could not turn away so long as there was any one in the house of whom he
might have speech. He had sent up his name to Mrs. Luna, after being
told that she was staying there, on the mere chance that she would see
him; for he thought a refusal a very possible sequel to the letters she
had written him during the past four or five months--letters he had
scarcely read, full of allusions of the most cutting sort to proceedings
of his, in the past, of which he had no recollection whatever. They
bored him, for he had quite other matters in his mind.
"I don't wonder you have the bad taste, the crudity," she said, as soon
as he came into the room, looking at him more sternly than he would have
believed possible to her.
He saw that this was an allusion to his not having been to see her since
the period of her sister's visit to New York; he having conceived for
her, the evening of Mrs. Burrage's party, a sentiment of aversion which
put an end to such attentions. He didn't laugh, he was too worried and
preoccupied; but he replied, in a tone which apparently annoyed her as
much as any indecent mirth: "I thought it very possible you wouldn't see
me.
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