Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 1.djvu/218

 not to be laughed at any more than he could help.

The Princess hesitated a moment; then she said, 'He told me you were very original.'

'He doesn't know, and—if you will allow me to say so—I don't think you know. How should you? I am one of many thousands of young men of my class—you know, I suppose, what that is—in whose brains certain ideas are fermenting. There is nothing original about me at all. I am very young and very ignorant; it's only a few months since I began to talk of the possibility of a social revolution with men who have considered the whole ground much more than I have done. I'm a mere particle in the immensity of the people. All I pretend to is my good faith, and a great desire that justice shall be done.'

The Princess listened to him intently, and her attitude made him feel how little he, in comparison, expressed himself like a person who had the habit of conversation; he seemed to himself to stammer and emit common sounds. For a moment she said nothing, only looking at him with her pure smile. 'I do draw you out!' she exclaimed, at last. 'You are much more interesting to me than if you were an exception.' At these last words Hyacinth flinched a hair's breadth; the movement was shown by his dropping his eyes. We know to what extent he really regarded himself as of the stuff of the common herd. The Princess doubtless guessed it as well, for she quickly added, 'At the same time, I can see that you are remarkable enough.'

'What do you think I am remarkable for?'

'Well, you have general ideas.'

'Every one has them to-day. They have them in