But till I loved you with my whole, whole heart, Ludovico; and till I found out that I did, I did not know that--that it would be so,--that I should feel as I feel now." Ludovico got up from his seat, and began walking up and down the floor of the little room, sighing deeply, and passing his hand again and again across his forehead.

Presently he sat down again, bringing his chair so as to front her fully as he sat.
"Paolina," he said, looking sadly into her eyes with a deeper meaning in his own than she had ever seen there; "your words have made me very, very miserable! I never in all my life was so unhappy as I am now.

You must listen now, my Paolina, to what I am going to say; and you must think well before you answer me.

You see, dearest, that it is necessary that we should quite understand this matter, and understand each other.
Many men, if they had been told what you have now told me, would begin to reproach a girl with not loving them,--to say that it was clear she did not care for them.

I will not do so.