
and could sing a good song; Mrs. Davilow observed that her father had an estate
in Barbadoes, but that she herself had never been in the West Indies; Mrs.
Torrington was sure she should never sleep in her bed if she lived among blacks;
her husband corrected her by saying that the blacks would be manageable enough
if it were not for the half-breeds; and Deronda remarked that the whites had to
thank themselves for the half-breeds.
    While this polite pea-shooting was going on, Gwendolen trifled with her
jelly, and looked at every speaker in turn that she might feel at ease in
looking at Deronda.
    »I wonder what he thinks of me really? He must have felt interested in me,
else he would not have sent me my necklace. I wonder what he thinks of my
marriage? What notions has he to make him so grave about things? Why is he come
to Diplow?«
    These questions ran in her mind as the voice of an uneasy longing to be
judged by Deronda with unmixed admiration - a longing which had had its seed in
her first resentment at his critical glance. Why did she care so much about the
opinion of this man who was »nothing of any consequence«? She had no time to
find the reason - she was too much engaged in caring. In the drawing-room, when
something had called Grandcourt away, she went quite unpremeditatedly up to
Deronda, who was standing at a table apart, turning over some prints, and said
to him -
    »Shall you hunt to-morrow, Mr. Deronda?«
    »Yes, I believe so.«
    »You don't object to hunting, then?«
    »I find excuses for it. It is a sin I am inclined to - when I can't get
boating or cricketing.«
    »Do you object to my hunting?« said Gwendolen, with a saucy movement of the
chin.
    »I have no right to object to anything you choose to do.«
    »You thought you had a right to object to my gambling,« persisted Gwendolen.
    »I was sorry for it. I am not aware that I told you of my objection,« said
Deronda, with his usual directness of gaze - a large-eyed gravity, innocent of
any intention. His eyes had a peculiarity which has drawn many men into trouble;
they were of a dark yet mild intensity, which seemed to express a special
interest in every one on whom he fixed them, and might easily help to bring on
him those claims which ardently sympathetic people
