On seeing me, he looked much disconcerted. I daresay he thought I must be cut to the quick by what I had heard; for though he did not allude to it, he sat down on the wooden bench, made me sit by him, and was so unusually kind that I could not help being a little amused. I allowed myself to be petted for awhile, then I looked up at him and said, smiling—
"As if I minded it, Cornelius! As if I did not know that though I should grow ever so plain, you would still like me! As if I could think it would make any difference to you!"
He muttered, "Oh! of course not!" I continued—
"Kate says you are handsome, and I dare say you are; but if you had lost one eye, or had a great ugly scar across your face, or were disfigured in some dreadful way, it would make no difference to me, Cornelius."
He smiled, without replying: I resumed—
"Therefore, Cornelius, that does not trouble me much, but something else which Kate said does trouble me."
I paused, and looked at him; he seemed a little disturbed.
"What are you talking of, child?" he said; "what do you mean?"
"Kate said I was fonder of you than ever, Cornelius; it is true, very true, I love you more as I grow up, because I know your goodness better; but then something which you might conclude from that, Cornelius, is not true."
I looked up at him very earnestly.