That her look of confession had been involuntary was shown by that just perceptible shake and change of countenance with which she roused herself to reply calmly, “I join in it by listening. I am fond of music.” “Are you not a musician?” “I have given a great deal of time to music. But I have not talent enough to make it worth while. I shall never sing again.” “But if you are fond of music, it will always be worth while in private, for your own delight. I make it a virtue to be content with my middlingness,” said Deronda, smiling; “it is always pardonable, so that one does not ask others to take it for superiority.” “I cannot imitate you,” said Gwendolen, recovering her tone of artificial vivacity. “To be middling with me is another phrase for being dull. And the worst fault I have to find with the world is that it is dull. Do you know, I am going to justify gambling in spite of you. It is a refuge from dullness.” “I don’t admit the justification,” said Deronda. “I think what we call the dullness of things is a disease in ourselves. Else how can any one find an intense interest in life? And many do.” “Ah, I see! The fault I find in the world is my own fault,” said Gwendolen, smiling at him. Then after a moment, looking up at the ivory again, she said, “Do _you_ never find fault with the world or with others?” “Oh, yes. When I am in a grumbling mood.” “And hate people? Confess you hate them when they stand in your way—when their gain is your loss? That is your own phrase, you know.” “We are often standing in each other’s way when we can’t help it. I think it is stupid to hate people on that ground.” “But if they injure you and could have helped it?” said Gwendolen with a hard intensity unaccountable in incidental talk like this. Deronda wondered at her choice of subjects. A painful impression arrested his answer a moment, but at last he said, with a graver, deeper intonation, “Why, then, after all, I prefer my place to theirs.” “There I believe you are right,” said Gwendolen, with a sudden little laugh, and turned to join the group at the piano.