[Interesting, it seems he's stumbled on her own prickly subject. It was interesting how that works, though he finds that he does not in the least regret asking about it. She brought it up in the first place afterall.]

Perhaps it can be considered petty, but where you take your motivations to do better than people think of you is not something to be treated lightly. Saint or not, it's admirable.

[A pause.]

Just because someone believes a slave can never be free does not mean he should not try until he is.