He was sure of that.

He could rely upon his pen and his wits, though he could not trust to his wits with only his tongue to help them.
The chief objection to this method of wooing was that, in his class, it was untraditional.

And this had some weight with him, for he had been brought up rigidly in the practices and customs of an exclusive caste.
On the other hand, he had never thought of plunging rashly into love-phrases, from the first.

He wished to establish a correspondence with Veronica, and then by subtle tact and delicate degrees to acquire the right of speaking to her, by his letters, of what he felt, making no reference to them when he met her, until she should at last give some sign that she would listen favourably.
The plan was wise and far sighted, but it had not been the result of wisdom nor of diplomatic instinct.

He adopted it out of delicacy, and out of respect for the woman he loved, and in the hope of reaching her heart without ever jarring upon her sensibilities.
By nature and talent, as well as by cultivation, Gianluca was admirably gifted for such a correspondence as he now attempted to begin.