"Now, my best of confidantes," said Richard, "I want my cousin Ada to understand that I am not captious, fickle, and wilful about John Jarndyce, but that I have this purpose and reason at my back. I wish to represent myself to her through you, because she has a great esteem and respect for her cousin John; and I know you will soften the course I take, even though you disapprove of it; and--and in short," said Richard, who had been hesitating through these words, "I--I don't like to represent myself in this litigious, contentious, doubting character to a confiding girl like Ada."

"Now," said Richard, "I want my cousin Ada to understand that I am not fickle, and wilful about John Jarndyce, but that I have this purpose. She has a great respect for her cousin John; and I know you will soften the course I take, even though you disapprove of it; and - and in short," said Richard, hesitating, "I - I don't like to represent myself in this litigious, doubting character to a confiding girl like Ada."
