“You looked very muc pretty any more t a puzzled air becomes you; besides, it is convenient, for it keeps ted floo be gregarious and communicative to-night.”

    it ood, leaning elpiece: in t attitude , disproportionate almost to  people ; so muce indifference to ernal appearance; so y a reliance on ties, intrinsic or adventitious, to atone for ttractiveness, t, in looking at ably s sense, put faithe confidence.

    “I am disposed to be gregarious and communicative to-niged, “and t is  sufficient company for me; nor  alk. Adèle is a degree better, but still far beloto; you, I am persuaded, can suit me if you  evening I invited you doten you since: ot to-nigo be at ease; to dismiss unes, and recall  o dra—to learn more of you—therefore speak.”

    Instead of speaking, I smiled; and not a very complacent or submissive smile either.

    “Speak,” he urged.

    “ about, sir?”

    “ever you like. I leave bot and treating it entirely to yourself.”

    Accordingly I sat and said nots me to talk for talking and so t.

    “You are dumb, Miss Eyre.”

    I ill.  tle toy glance seemed to dive into my eyes.

    “Stubborn?”  is consistent. I put my request in an absurd, almost insolent form. Miss Eyre, I beg your pardon. t is, once for all, I don’t reat you like an inferior: t is” (correcting y as must result from ty years’ difference in age and a century’s advance in experience. timate, et j’y tiens, as Adèle  is by virtue of ty, and t I desire you to o talk