Womanly compassion surely never wore a guise more lovely.
Such beauty and such goodness quite melted me, and it seemed that the only fitting response I could make was to tell her just the truth.

Of course I had not a spark of hope, but on the other hand I had no fear that she would be angry.

She was too pitiful for that.

So I said presently, "It is very ungrateful in me not to be satisfied with such kindness as you have shown me, and are showing me now.

But are you so blind as not to see why they are not enough to make me happy?
Don't you see that it is because I have been mad enough to love you ?" At my last words she blushed deeply and her eyes fell before mine, but she made no effort to withdraw her hands from my clasp.