"He is too well-bred to recognise a man who wishes to be unknown, or to indulge in exclamations of surprise, or in dramatic starts. He is more stable than a girl, moreover, and may feel less indulgence to caprice." "I feel obliged to his reserve; for exposure would be ridiculous, and so long as you and he alone know me, I shall feel less awkward in the ship. I am certain neither will betray me." "Betray!" "Betray, discover, annihilate me if you will. Anything is preferable to ridicule." "This touches a little on the caprice; but you flatter yourself with too much security; you are known to one more besides my father, myself, and the honest man whom you have robbed of all his astuteness, which I believe was in his name." "For pity's sake, who can it be?" "The worthy Nanny Sidley, my whilom nurse, and actual _femme de chambre_. No ogre was ever more vigilant on his ward than the faithful Nanny, and it is vain to suppose she does not recall your features." "But ogres sometimes sleep; recollect how many have been overcome in that situation." Eve smiled, but shook her head. She was about to assure Mr. Sharp of the vanity of his belief, when an exclamation from her governess diverted the attention of both, and before either had time to speak again, Mademoiselle turned to them, and said rapidly in French-- "I assure you, _ma chere_, I should have mistaken monsieur for a _compatriote_ by his language, were it not for a single heinous fault that he has just committed." "Which fault you will suffer me to inquire into, that I may hasten to correct it?" asked Mr. Blunt. "Mais, monsieur, you speak _too_ perfectly, too grammatically, for a native. You do not take the liberties with the language that one who feels he owns it thinks he has a right to do. It is the fault of too much correctness." "And a fault it easily becomes. I thank you for the hint, mademoiselle; but as I am now going where little French will be heard, it is probable it will soon be lost in greater mistakes." The two then turned away again, and continued the dialogue that had been interrupted by this trifling. "There may also be one more to whom you are known," continued Eve, as soon as the vivacity of the discourse of the others satisfied her the remark would not he heard. "Surely, you cannot mean _him_?" "Surely, I do mean _him_. Are you quite certain that 'Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt; Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp,' never saw each other before?" "I think not until the moment we entered the boat in company. He is a gentlemanly young man; he seems even to be more, and one would not be apt to forget him. He is altogether superior to the rest of the set: do you not agree with me?"