I'm much obliged to you for attempting to explain," she said gently, as if the anger with which she had just sprung up had already subsided.

"It's very good of you to try to warn me, if you're really alarmed; but I won't promise to think of what you've said: I shall forget it as soon as possible.

Try and forget it yourself; you've done your duty, and no man can do more.

I can't explain to you what I feel, what I believe, and I wouldn't if I could." She paused a moment and then went on with an inconsequence that Ralph observed even in the midst of his eagerness to discover some symptom of concession.

"I can't enter into your idea of Mr.Osmond; I can't do it justice, because I see him in quite another way.