If I was just bored it would be different.
I hate people looking me up and down as though I were a prize cow.'
'Who looks you up and down?'
'All the people down here. Everybody.'
'What does it matter if they do?
It gives them some interest in life.'
'Why must I be the one to supply the interest, and have all the criticism?'
'Because life at Manderley is the only thing that ever interests anybody down here.'
'What a slap in the eye I must be to them then.'
Maxim did not answer.
He went on looking at his paper.
'What a slap in the eye I must be to them,' I repeated.
And then, 'I suppose that's why you married me,' I said; 'you knew I was dull and quiet and inexperienced, so that there would never be any gossip about me.'
Maxim threw his paper on the ground and got up from his chair.
'What do you mean?' he said.
His face was dark and queer, and his voice was rough, not his voice at all.
'I–I don't know,' I said, leaning back against the window,
'I don't mean anything.
Why do you look like that?'
'What do you know about any gossip down here?' he said.
'I don't,' I said, scared by the way he looked at me.
'I only said it because — because of something to say.
Don't look at me like that.
Maxim, what have I said? what's the matter?'
'Who's been talking to you,' he said slowly.
'No one.
No one at all'
'Why did you say what you did?'
'I tell you, I don't know.
It just came to my head.
I was angry, cross.
I do hate calling on these people.
I can't help it.
And you criticised me for being shy.
I didn't mean it.
Really, Maxim, I didn't.
Please believe me.'.
'It was not a particularly attractive thing to say, was it?' he said.
'No,' I said.
'No, it was rude, hateful.'
He stared at me moodily, his hands in his pockets, rocking backwards and forwards on his heels.
'I wonder if I did a very selfish thing in marrying you,' he said. He spoke slowly, thoughtfully.
I felt very cold, rather sick.
'How do you mean?' I said.
'I'm not much of a companion to you, ami?' he said.
'There are too many years between us.
You ought to have waited, and then married a boy of your own age. Not someone like myself, with half his life behind him.'
"That's ridiculous,' I said hurriedly, 'you know age doesn't mean anything in marriage.
Of course we are companions.'
'Are we?