Page:The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (emended first edition), Volume 1.djvu/342

330 It was but little sleep I got that night; and in the morning I rose perplexed and troubled with the thoughts of meeting him at breakfast. I knew not how it was to be done; an assumption of dignified, cold indifference would hardly do after what he knew of my devotion—to his face, at least. Yet something must be done to check his presumption—I would not submit to be tyrannized over by those bright, laughing eyes. And accordingly, I received his cheerful morning salutation as calmly and coldly as my aunt could have wished, and defeated with brief answers his one or two attempts to draw me into conversation; while I comported myself with unusual cheerfulness and complaisance towards every other member of the party, especially Annabella Wilmot, and even her uncle and Mr. Boarham were treated with an extra amount of civility on the occasion, not from any motives of coquetry, but just to shew him that my particular coolness and reserve arose from no general ill-humour or depression of spirits.