But whatever the nature of Malcolm’s influence upon Lady Clementina, she resented it, thinking towards and speaking to him repellently. Something in her did not like him. She knew he did not approve of her, and she did not like being disapproved of. Neither did she approve of him. He was pedantic--and far too good for an honest and brave youth: not that she could say she had seen dishonesty or cowardice in him, or that she could have told which vice she would prefer to season his goodness withal, and bring him to the level of her ideal. And then, for all her theories of equality, he was a groom--therefore to a lady ought to be repulsive--at least when she found him intruding into the chambers of her thoughts --personally intruding--yes, and met there by some traitorous feelings whose behaviour she could not understand. She resented it all, and felt towards Malcolm as if he were guilty of forcing himself into the sacred presence of her bosom’s queen--whereas it was his angel that did so, his Idea, over which he had no control. Clementina would have turned that Idea out, and when she found she could not, her soul started up wrathful, in maidenly disgust with her heart, and cast resentment upon everything in him whereon it would hang. She had not yet, however, come to ask herself any questions; she had only begun to fear that a woman to whom a person from the stables could be interesting, even in the form of an unexplained riddle, must be herself a person of low tastes; and that, for all her pride in coming of honest people, there must be a drop of bad blood in her somewhere. For a time her eyes had been fixed on her work, and there had been silence in the little group. “My lady!” said Malcolm, and drew a step nearer to Clementina. She looked up. How lovely she was with the trouble in her eyes! Thought Malcolm, “If only she were what she might be! If the form were but filled with the spirit! the body with life!” “My lady!” he repeated, just a little embarrassed, “I should like to tell you one thing that came to me only lately--came to me when thinking over the hard words you spoke to me that day in the park. But it is something so awful that I dare not speak of it except you will make your heart solemn to hear it.” He stopped, with his eyes questioning hers. Clementina’s first thought once more was madness, but as she steadily returned his look, her face grew pale, and she gently bowed her head in consent.