"You're afraid to speak your mind to me now anyway." She laughed a little.

"No, I'm not.

I really can't explain myself to you.
I think you forget that we are practically strangers." "You talk as if I had been guilty of familiarity," said Piers.
"No, no! I didn't mean that," Avery coloured suddenly, and the soft glow made her wonderfully fair to see.

"You know quite well I didn't mean it," she said.
"It's good of you to say so," said Piers.

"But I really didn't know.