He had not breathed a word of love, or dropped one hint of tenderness or affection, and yet I had been supremely happy. To be near him, to hear him talk as he did talk, and to feel that he thought me worthy to be so spoken to - capable of understanding and duly appreciating such discourse - was enough.

The Complete Novels Of The Bronte Sisters: Seven-Book Bundle (ed. Harper Collins, 2014) - ISBN: 9781443437097