Oh, I wouldn't trust people! It would be very nice if
this were the sort of world that you could do it in, but it isn't. It's a
very deceitful world."
"But I can trust you, can't I?" Rebecca held me with her gravely
questioning eyes.
"Well, I don't know;" I began with the determination to be severely true
to my text, but the look in Rebecca's eyes hurt me.
"Oh, yes! little girl," I continued, falling into the half-tender,
half-playful tone that it was always easiest to assume with her; "of
course, you must trust me I Haven't I been a good teacher to you, so
far?" And I sought by smiling in the girl's face, to chase the grieved
expression away from it. "What I meant was that I wouldn't trust people
generally, because it's a selfish world, and such is the depravity of the
human mind that if it appears at all convenient, we are apt, you know, to
sacrifice other people to our own interests; so, with all the little
kindnesses and politenesses which are current in society, it is still the
common practice--and if is best that it should be so--to keep, in the
main, a sharp look out for 'Number One!'"
Having proceeded so far, it occurred to me that the occasion was
favorable for the discharge of another duty which I had been meditating
in regard to Rebecca.
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