If you had only known, there was a whole world of tenderness for you in my heart.

I could not trust myself to be tender to you; you would have guessed my secret.

And I wanted you to go away undisturbed.

You do not feel things lightly, and it was best for you that you should harden your heart against me.
"If you could harden your heart against me.

But I am not sure about that.