Quotation from: Villette

Written by: Charlotte Bronte

As our party left the Hall, he stood at the entrance; he saw and knew
me, and lifted his hat; he offered his hand in passing, and uttered
the words "Qu'en dites vous?"--question eminently characteristic, and
reminding me, even in this his moment of triumph, of that inquisitive
restlessness, that absence of what I considered desirable self-
control, which were amongst his faults. He should not have cared just
then to ask what I thought, or what anybody thought, but he _did_
care, and he was too natural to conceal, too impulsive to repress his
wish. Well! if I blamed his over-eagerness, I liked his
_naivete_. I would have praised him: I had plenty of praise in my
heart; but, alas! no words on my lips. Who _has_ words at the
right moment? I stammered some lame expressions; but was truly glad
when other people, coming up with profuse congratulations, covered my
deficiency by their redundancy.