"How so, if you don't know what it is?"
"Do you mean if you yourself don't?" But without detaining him on this, "Of what in especial do the signs," I asked, "consist?"
"Well, of everyone's thinking so—that there's something or other."
This again struck me, but it struck me too much. "Oh, everyone's a fool!"
He saw, in his queer wan way, how it had done so. "Then you have your own idea?"
I daresay my smile at him, while I waited, showed a discomfort. "Do you mean people are talking about her?"
But he waited himself. "Haven't they shown you——?"
"No, no one has spoken. Moreover I wouldn't have let them."
"Then there you are!" Brissenden exclaimed. "If you've kept them off, it must be because you differ with them."
"I shan't be sure of that," I returned, "till I know what they think! However, I repeat," I added, "that I shouldn't even then care. I don't mind admitting that she much interests me."