She had tasted the sweets of dominion, and had been rendered wilful and capricious by constant indulgence at home, and admiration abroad.  She was conscious of her power over Eugene, and delighted in exercising it.  She sometimes treated him with petulant caprice, enjoying the pain which she inflicted by her frowns, from the idea how soon she would chase it away again by her smiles.  She took a pleasure in alarming his fears, by affecting a temporary preference to some one or other of his rivals; and then would delight in allaying them, by an ample measure of returning kindness.  Perhaps there was some degree of vanity gratified by all this; it might be a matter of triumph to show her absolute power over the young soldier, who was the universal object of female admiration.  Eugene, however, was of too serious and ardent a nature to be trifled with.  He loved too fervently not to be filled with doubt.  He saw Annette surrounded by admirers, and full of animation; the gayest among the gay at all their rural festivities, and apparently most gay when he was most dejected.  Every one saw through this caprice, but himself; everyone saw that in reality she doted on him; but Eugene alone suspected the sincerity of her affection.  For some time he bore this coquetry with secret impatience and distrust; but his feelings grew sore and irritable, and overcame his self-command.  A slight misunderstanding took place; a quarrel ensued.  Annette, unaccustomed to be thwarted and contradicted, and full of the insolence of youthful beauty, assumed an air of disdain.  She refused all explanations to her lover, and they parted in anger.

That very evening Eugene saw her, full of gayety, dancing with one of his rivals; and as her eye caught his, fixed on her with unfeigned distress, it sparkled with more than usual vivacity.  It was a finishing blow to his hopes, already so much impaired by secret distrust.  Pride and resentment both struggled in his breast, and seemed to rouse his spirit to all its wonted energy.  He retired from her presence, with the hasty determination never to see her again.

A woman is more considerate in affairs of love than a man; because love is more the study and business of her life.  Annette soon repented of her indiscretion; she felt that she had used her lover unkindly; she felt that she had trifled with his sincere and generous nature—­and then he looked so handsome when he parted after their quarrel—­his fine features lighted up by indignation.  She had intended making up with him at the evening dance; but his sudden departure prevented her.  She now promised herself that when next they met she would amply repay him by the sweets of a perfect reconciliation, and that, thenceforward, she would never—­never tease him more!  That promise was not to be fulfilled.  Day after day passed—­but Eugene did not make his appearance.  Sunday evening came, the usual time when all the gayety of the village assembled—­butEugene was not there.  She inquired after him; he had left the village.  She now became alarmed, and, forgetting all coyness and affected indifference, called on Eugene’s mother for an explanation.  She found her full of affliction, and learnt with surprise and consternation that Eugene had gone to sea.