How unlike Mr.Hardyman, who had treated her as a lady from first to last! "What an odd man you are!" she said.

"You can't take a joke.

I'm sure I didn't mean to offend you." "You don't offend me--you do worse, you distress me." Isabel's color began to rise.

The merriment died out of her face; she looked at Moody gravely.

"I don't like to be accused of distressing people when I don't deserve it," she said.