It was a strange coincidence, that if Min should express some opinion one day, I found, when we next met, that I seemed to have involuntarily come round to her view; while, if I let fall any casual remark, Min was certain, on some future occasion, to repeat it as if it were her own.
I suppose the coincidence was owing to our mental "rapport," as the French express it.
The only drawback to my happiness, was Mr Mawley, whom I disliked now more than ever.
Although he had all the rest of the week in which to pay his devoirs, having carte blanche from Mrs Clyde to run in and out of her house whenever he so pleased--he took it into his head to drop in regularly on the very evening that I had selected and thought especially mine.

I believe he only did it to spite me, being of a most aggravating temperament! When he was there, too, he was constantly endeavouring to make me appear ridiculous.
As certainly as I said anything, or advanced an opinion, he, as certainly, contradicted me, taking the opposite side of the question.
This, of course, made me angry and unamiable.

He was so obstinately obtuse, too, that he would not take a hint.

He must have seen that his company was not wanted, by me at least, and that I did not desire any conversation with him.

I've no doubt of his doing it on purpose! He prided himself on his eminently practical mind, being incapable of seeing romance even in the works of nature and nature's God; and he was continually cutting jokes at my "sentimentality," as he was pleased to style my more poetical views of life and its surroundings.
Whenever I gave him the chance, he was safe to slide in some of his vulgar bathos after any heroic sentiment or personal opinion I may have uttered.