Zoe was in a defiant mood.  She walked away without making any reply, and an hour later Edward met her riding out with Ralph by her side.  Max was not with them, as it was during his study hours, and they had not even an attendant.

They had been laughing and chatting gayly, but at sight of Edward a sudden silence fell on them.

Zoe’s head drooped and her cheeks flushed hotly as she perceived the dark frown on her husband’s brow.  She expected some cutting word of rebuke, but he simply wheeled his horse about, placing himself on her other side, so that she was between him and Ralph, and rode on with them.

Not a word was spoken until they drew rein at their own door, when Edward, dismounting, lifted his wife from her pony, and as he set her down, said, “I will be obliged to you, Zoe, if you will now prepare your lessons for to-day.”

Zoe had already begun to repent of her open disregard of his wishes, for during the silent ride memory had been busy with the many expressions of love and tenderness he had lavished upon her in their short married life, and if there had been the least bit of either in his tones now, she would have whispered in his ear that she was sorry and would not so offend again; but the cold, stern accents made the request sound like a command, and roused again the spirit of opposition that had almost died out.

She shook off his detaining hand, and walked away in silence, with head erect and cheeks burning with indignation.

Ralph had not heard Edward’s low-spoken words, but looking after Zoe, as she disappeared within the doorway, “Seems to me you’re a bit of a tyrant, Ned,” he remarked with a coarse, disagreeable laugh.

“I am not aware of having shown any evidence of being such,” Edward returned rather haughtily, as he remounted.  Then, turning his horse’s head, he rode rapidly away.

Zoe went to her boudoir, gave vent to her anger in a hearty fit of crying, then set to work at the lessons with a sincere desire to please the husband she really loved with all her heart.

“I’ve been forgetting the two bears,” she said to herself, “but I’ll try again, and when that hateful Miss Deane goes away, everything will be right again.  I know Ned has to be polite to her; and it’s very silly in me to get vexed when he talks to her; but I can’t help it, because he’s my all.”

She finished her tasks, dressed herself for dinner with care and taste, and when she heard his step on the stairs ran to the door to meet him.

Her face was bright and eager, but changed at sight of his cold, forbidding looks.

“I am ready for you,” she said timidly, shrinking away from him.

“Very well, bring your books,” he said with, she thought, the air of a schoolmaster toward a pupil in disgrace, and seating himself as he spoke.

She brought them, keeping her eyes cast down to hide the tell-tale tears.  She controlled her emotion in another moment, and went through the recitations very creditably to herself.