There was that of consciousness in his tone which betrayed that he thought his own accents and choice words were well worthy her attention.
Eliza turned her back to the direction in which the strangers had gone, thus covering the spare man to whom she was talking from their backward glances.

Bates, who was looking up at her face with his heart-hunger in his eyes, saw a look of contempt for the passing remark flit across her face, and because of the fond craving of his own heart, his sympathy, strangely enough, went out to the young man who had spoken, rather than to her sentiment of contempt.

The angel of human loves alone could tell why John Bates loved this girl after all that had passed, but he did love her.
And perceiving now that she had told what she had to tell, he turned his mind to that something that lay on his mind to say to her.

With the burden of the thought he rose up again from his rude seat, and he held up his head to look at her as with effort; she was so tall, that he still must needs look up.
"All's said that need be said, Sissy, between us two." His voice was almost hard because he would not betray his wistfulness.

"Ye have chosen your own way o' life, and I willna raise a cry to alter it; I'm no fit for that.