Mr.Emerson opened it.
"Carriage is waiting," said a servant.
"Say that we will be down in a few minutes." The door closed.
"Come, Irene," said Mr.Emerson.
"You spoke very confidently to the servant, and said we would be down in a few minutes." "There, there, Irene! Let this folly die; it has lived long enough.
Come! Make yourself ready with all speed--our party is delayed by this prolonged absence." "You think me trifling, and treat me as if I were a captious child," said Irene, with chilling calmness; "but I am neither." "Then you will not go ?" "I will not go." She said the words slowly and deliberately, and as she spoke looked her husband steadily in the face.

She was in earnest, and he felt that further remonstrance would be in vain.
"You will repent of this," he replied, with enough of menace in his voice to convey to her mind a great deal more than was in his thoughts.

And he turned from her and left the room.

Going down stairs, he found the riding-party waiting for their appearance.
"Where is Irene ?" was asked by one and another, on seeing him alone.
"She does not care to ride out this afternoon, and so I have excused her," he replied.

Miss Carman looked at him narrowly, and saw that there was a shade of trouble on his countenance, which he could not wholly conceal.