At his answer her face flushed with pleasure, and she replied shyly-- "If you'd like to, you may." Henry was not in the least a conceited fellow, but it was impossible that he should not understand the reason why Ida, who all the morning had looked forlorn enough, was now the life of the croquet-ground, and full of smiles and flushes.

She was a good player, and had a corresponding interest in beating, but her equanimity on the present occasion was not in the least disturbed by the disgraceful defeat which Henry's awkwardness and absence of mind entailed on their aide.
But her portion of sunshine for that day was brief enough, for Madeline soon returned from her boat-ride, and Henry found an excuse for leaving the game and joining her where she sat on the ground between the knees of a gigantic oak sorting pond-lilies, which the girls were admiring.

As he came up, she did not appear to notice him.

As soon as he had a chance to speak without being overheard, he said, soberly-- "Tom ought to thank me for that boat-ride, I suppose." "I don't know what you mean," she answered, with assumed carelessness.
"I mean that you went to punish me." "You're sufficiently conceited," she replied.

"Laura, come here; your brother is teasing me." "And do you think I want to be teased to ?" replied that young lady, pertly, as she walked off.
Madeline would have risen and left Henry, but she was too proud to let him think that she was afraid of him..