334 BLUSHING. Chap. XIII. 



signification of regard for the opinion of others. But 

 modesty frequently relates to acts of indelicacy; and in- 

 delicacy is an affair of etiquette, as Ave clearly see with 

 the nations that go altogether or nearly naked. He who 

 is modest, and blushes easily at acts of this nature, does 

 so because they are breaches of a firmly and wisely estab- 

 lished etiquette. This is indeed shown by the derivation 

 of the word modest from modus, a measure or standard of 

 behaviour. A blush due to this form of modesty is, more- 

 over, apt to be intense, because it generally relates to 

 the opposite sex; and we have seen how in all cases our 

 liability to blush is thus increased. We apply the term 

 ' modest/ as it would appear, to those who have an 

 humble opinion of themselves, and to those who are 

 extremely sensitive about an indelicate word or deed, 

 simply because in both cases blushes are readily excited, 

 for these two frames of mind 'have nothing else in com- 

 mon. Shyness also, from this same cause, is often mis- 

 taken for modesty in the sense of humility. 



Some persons flush up, as I have observed and have 

 been assured, at any sudden and disagreeable recollec- 

 tion. The commonest cause seems to be the sudden 

 remembrance of not having done something for another 

 person which had been promised. In this case it may 

 be that the thought passes half unconsciously through 

 the mind, " What will he think of me ? " and then the 

 flush would partake of the nature of a true blush. But 

 whether such flushes are in most cases due to the capil- 

 lary circulation being affected, is very doubtful; for we 

 must remember that almost every strong emotion, such 

 as anger or great joy, acts on the heart, and causes the 

 face to redden. 



The fact that blushes may be excited in absolute 

 solitude seems opposed to the view here taken, namely 



