"You bade me describe her," said I lamely. "I do not know whether others see as I do, but such is she to my eyes."
A silence followed. Barbara's face was not flushed now, but rather seemed paler than it was wont to be. I could not tell how it was, but I knew that I had wounded her. Is not beauty jealous, and who but a clod will lavish praise on one fair face while another is before him? I should have done better to play the hypocrite and swear that my folly, not Nell's features, was to blame. But now I was stubborn and would recall not a word of all my raptures. Yet I was glad that I had not told her who Cydaria was.
The silence was short. In an instant Barbara gave a little laugh, saying,
"Small wonder you were caught, poor Simon! Yes, the creature must be handsome enough. Shall we return to my mother?"
On that day she spoke no more with me.