"I sometimes say very foolish things, not at all worth remembering, I assure you." "But what you say is worth everything to me," he said, with another sudden blush, and a quick glance, while his hands twitched.
He was painfully shy and embarrassed, and was producing anything but a favourable impression upon Veronica.

She was sorry for him, indeed, in a superior sort of fashion, but she thought of Taquisara's bold eyes and strong face, and of Bosio Macomer's quiet and refined assurance of manner, and Gianluca seemed to her slightly ridiculous.

It was in her blood, and she could not help it.

Some of her people had been bad, and some good, but most of them had been strong, and she liked strength, as a natural consequence.

Moreover, she had not enough experience of the world to put Gianluca at his ease; and a sort of girlish feeling that she must not encourage him to say too much made her answer in such a way as to throw him off his track.
"It is very kind of you to say so," she answered lightly.