'You mustn't mind a bit, though,' he said quickly. 'I am quite used to being considered a fool, and it doesn't hurt me nearly as much as it would an average man.' 'Mr Nevill, I am greatly grieved and shocked to think you have got any such notion in your head. Pray dismiss it, I beg of you.' She was in great pain. She did not know how to convince him. He seemed disposed not to take her word for her innocence. What more could she give him than her word? 'You must not worry yourself in the least about it. I assure you nine out of ten people I meet take me for a fool. I should not have mentioned the matter to you at all, only your brother happens to be one of those tenth men, and does not take me for a fool; and I had an unwise hope you might look at me in somewhat the same way. I am sure you wouldn't do it if you could help it.' 'Mr Nevill, you are almost unkind to say such a thing. I assure you there is not the least truth in it. Do believe me. Can I in no way convince you?' She was in acute pain now. She could endure any pain herself; but the thought that she had inflicted pain on others was intolerable. 'Let me beg of you, Miss Osborne, not to mention the subject again. It is of really no consequence, and I have been most unfortunate in introducing the subject to you. I should have known it would hurt your good-nature. Forgive me, I beg of you! I hope you will forgive me. If you had been in doubt as to whether I was a fool or not, you can no longer be in any; for I may tell you frankly, I should not like you to despise me, and I don't know in what way I could more surely injure my chances of your good opinion than by alighting on so unhappy a subject of conversation. Really, Miss Osborne, you will do me the greatest possible favour if you will not again allude to the subject.' 'But,' she cried beseechingly, 'nothing in the world--' 'No, no, no, no! I beg--I pray of you not to say any more about my hideous blunder; I assure you I shall not forget it in an hour. What an unlucky fool I am!' She looked at him with a face full of pain. She did not know what to do, what to say. He would not believe her. She would not willingly hurt the humblest of God's creatures, and here was a man who had gravely disquieted her at first, but from whom she had latterly derived much amusement, attributing to her thoughts most uncomplimentary and ungenerous to him, thoughts which she did not entertain. She felt inclined to cry. It was cruel of him to fix such a charge upon her. She said, looking up earnestly at him,-- 'I think it is not generous of you to refuse taking my word for what I say. I am sure if you told me anything about yourself I should believe you.' 'I accept that test,' he answered quickly. 'Now, since I have met you, Miss Osborne, I daresay you have noticed that I speak now and then.' She smiled, and answered, 'Yes.' 'Now, do you believe every word I uttered?' 'No. You spoke a lot of things you did not want anyone to believe.'