But from that time he would promise that she should find an alteration by which he hoped he might return the friendship at least of a young lady he honoured more than any other in the world.
This retrograde movement was evidently unexpected by the honoured young lady herself.

After being so long accustomed to rebuke him for his persistence there was novelty in finding him do the work for her.

The guess might even have been hazarded that there was also disappointment.
Still looking across the river at the bridge of boats which stretched to the opposite suburb of Deutz: 'You need not blame yourself,' she said, with the mildest conceivable manner, 'I can make allowances.

All I wish is that you should remain under no misapprehension.' 'I comprehend,' he said thoughtfully.

'But since, by a perverse fate, I have been thrown into your company, you could hardly expect me to feel and act otherwise.' 'Perhaps not.' 'Since I have so much reason to be dissatisfied with myself,' he added, 'I cannot refrain from criticizing elsewhere to a slight extent, and thinking I have to do with an ungenerous person.' 'Why ungenerous ?' 'In this way; that since you cannot love me, you see no reason at all for trying to do so in the fact that I so deeply love you; hence I say that you are rather to be distinguished by your wisdom than by your humanity.' 'It comes to this, that if your words are all seriously meant it is much to be regretted we ever met,' she murmured.