se still better.

And how were my feelings getting on all this time? Was I falling in love
with this wayward, incomprehensible, but deeply interesting girl, into
whose constant society circumstances had, as it were, forced me? Reader,
this was a question which I most carefully abstained from asking myself.
I knew that I was exceedingly happy; and, as I wished to continue so,
I steadily forbore to analyse the ingredients of this happiness too
closely, perhaps from a secret consciousness, that, were I to do so,
I might discover certain awkward truths, which would prove it to be my
duty to tear myself away from the scene of fascination ere it was too
late. So I told myself that I was bound by my promise to Coleman to
remain at Elm Lodge till my mother and sister should return home, or,
at all events, till he himself came back: this being the case, I was
compelled by all the rules of good-breeding to be civil and attentive to
Miss Saville (yes, civil and attentive--I repeated the words over two or
three times; they were nice, quiet, cool sort of words, and suited the
view I was anxious to take of the case particularly well). Besides,
I might be of some use to her, poor girl, by combating her strange,
melancholy, half-fatalist opinions; at all events, it was my duty to
try, decidedly my duty (I said that also several times); and, as to my
feeling such a deep interest about her, and thinking of her continually,
why there was nothing else to think about at Elm Lodge--so that was
easily accounted for. All this, and a good deal more of the same nature,
did I tell myself; and, if I did not implicitly believe it, I was
much too polite to think of giving myself the lie, and so I continued
walking, talking, reading Petrarch, and playing chess with Miss Saville
all day, and dreaming of her all night, and being very happy indeed.

~274~~ Oh! it's a dangerous game, by the way, that game of chess, with
its gallant young knights, clever fellows, up to all sorts of deep
moves, who are perpetually laying siege to queens, keeping them in
check, threatening them with the bishop, and, with his assistance,
mating at last; and much too nearly does it resemble the game of life
to be played safely with a pair of bright eyes talking to you from the
other side of the board, and two coral lips--mute, indeed, but in their
very silence discoursing such "sweet music" to your heart, that the
silly thing, dancing with delight, seems as if it meant to lea