CHAPTER XV. THE WALK

ance.Thefaultmaybepartlyinmyself,butIhopenotaltogether.” “Thefaultispartlyinsociety,andpartly,Ishouldthink,inyourimmediateneighbours:andpartly,too,inyourselfformanyladies,inyourposition,wouldmakethemselvesbenoticedandaccountedof.Butyourpupilsshouldbecompanionsforyouinsomedegreetheycannotbemanyyearsyoungerthanyourself.” “Oh,yes,theyaregoodcompanysometimesbutIcannotcallthemfriends,norwouldtheythinkofbestowingsuchanameonme—theyhaveothercompanionsbettersuitedtotheirtastes.” “Perhapsyouaretoowiseforthem.Howdoyouamuseyourselfwhenalone—doyoureadmuch?” “Readingismyfavouriteoccupation,whenIhaveleisureforitandbookstoread.” Fromspeakingofbooksingeneral,hepassedtodifferentbooksinparticular,andproceededbyrapidtransitionsfromtopictotopic,tillseveralmatters,bothoftasteandopinion,hadbeendiscussedconsiderablywithinthespaceofhalfanhour,butwithouttheembellishmentofmanyobservationsfromhimselfhebeingevidentlylessbentuponcommunicatinghisownthoughtsandpredilections,thanondiscoveringmine.Hehadnotthetact,ortheart,toeffectsuchapurposebyskilfullydrawingoutmysentimentsorideasthroughtherealorapparentstatementofhisown,orleadingtheconversationbyimperceptiblegradationstosuchtopicsashewishedtoadvertto:butsuchgentleabruptness,andsuchsingle-mindedstraightforwardness,couldnotpossiblyoffendme. “Andwhyshouldheinteresthimselfatallinmymoralandintellectualcapacities:whatisittohimwhatIthinkorfeel?”Iaskedmyself.Andmyheartthrobbedinanswertothequestion. ButJaneandSusanGreensoonreachedtheirhome.Astheystoodparleyingatthepark-gates,attemptingtopersuadeMissMurraytocomein,IwishedMr.Westonwouldgo,thatshemightnotseehimwithmewhensheturnedroundbut,unfortunately,hisbusiness,whichwastopayonemorevisittopoorMarkWood,ledhimtopursuethesamepathaswedid,tillnearlythecloseofourjourney.When,however,hesawthatRosaliehadtakenleaveofherfriendsandIwasabouttojoinher,hewouldhaveleftmeandpassedonataquickerpacebut,ashecivillyliftedhishatinpassingher,tomysurprise,insteadofreturningthesalutewithastiff,ungraciousbow,sheaccostedhimwithoneofhersweetestsmiles,and,walkingbyhisside,begantotalktohimwithallimaginablecheerfulnessandaffabilityandsoweproceededallthreetogether. Afterashortpauseintheconversation,Mr.Westonmadesomeremarkaddressedparticularlytome,asreferringtosomethingwehad