"But if they injure you and could have helped it?" said Gwendolen with a hard intensity unaccountable in incidental talk like this.
Deronda wondered at her choice of subjects. A painful impression arrested his answer a moment, but at last he said, with a graver, deeper intonation, "Why, then, after all, I prefer my place to theirs."
"There I believe you are right," said Gwendolen, with a sudden little laugh, and turned to join the group at the piano.

"But if they injure you and could have helped it?" said Gwendolen with an unaccountable intensity.
Deronda wondered at her choice of subjects. At last he said, more gravely, "Why, then, after all, I prefer my place to theirs."
"There I believe you are right," said Gwendolen, with a sudden little laugh, and turned to join the group at the piano.
