I thought you so well amused that

  "Why should I do so? You had the best chance; you were here from the first, but from some whim determined not to put down your name, and looked glum whenever I passed you, and now you think that I will treat one of these young men so unhandsomely. No, Mr. Arlington, I will not."   "You chide me for not coming sooner. I thought you so well amused that I was not needed."   "Needed, no; but still you have not been commonly civil to-night."   "You are very unforgiving."   "No, but I will not encourage your whims; you chose to sulk, it was no fault of mine."   "As you will."   "I think this dancing awfully stupid," he said to Emily, as Isabel went off with her partner, "I shall be glad when it is over."   "Of course," she replied, with a most provoking laugh.   "Parsons don't usually care for dancing," added Harry, in a tone equally irritating.   But for Charley Elliott the evening would have been dull enough to Isabel. She would far rather have had Everard for a partner than any of those whose names were on her programme, but she believed that he had purposely avoided her all the earlier part of the evening: besides, Everard's manner towards her of late had become quite an enigma--now cold, almost haughty, then again soft, even tender, then indifferent--and Isabel resented its variableness. She was the more annoyed, as she knew that Emily was not quite in the dark.   "I think Mr. Elliott is a very nice young man, don't you, Isabel?" said Emily at breakfast next morning.   "Very," replied Isabel, coloring warmly as she caught Everard's penetrating glance.