“I thought,” returned the schoolmaster, stealing another look at her, and seeming to try in vain to sustain it; for the look dropped as it lighted on her eyes, “that it might be so superfluous as to be almost impertinent, to enter upon a definition of it. My allusion was to this matter of your having put aside your brother’s plans for you, and given the preference to those of Mr. ⁠—I believe the name is Mr. Eugene Wrayburn.”

He made this point of not being certain of the name, with another uneasy look at her, which dropped like the last.

Nothing being said on the other side, he had to begin again, and began with new embarrassment.

“Your brother’s plans were communicated to me when he first had them in his thoughts. In point of fact he spoke to me about them when I was last here⁠—when we were walking back together, and when I⁠—when the impression was fresh upon me of having seen his sister.”