"You could have been a student like me, and it is because of that that I must insist we consider each other equals." His speech sped involuntarily making the otherwise polite insistence into something more of a demand. It was frustrating to think that even here where everyone like them were regarded as less than, she refused to let go of ties to such silly, arbitrary things like the French classes. Couldn't she see that it was all infinitely more meaningless here than it had ever been in Paris? And even then, Enjolras would have argued against it, died for the abolition of it. "You know of my beliefs, I think. There is nothing other than the opportunities presented to us which make me any different from you. There is no merit intrinsic to our birth or station that cannot be overcome through education or should be held over the merit we share together by simply existing."

Pausing, he shook his head realizing that perhaps grand soliloquies on egalitarian philosophies probably weren't appropriate given the context. Perhaps Venus was correct and he did have a problem with brevity, or a certain lack thereof. "Moreover, in this situation, you are to be my teacher and teachers are always owed my respect. So please, call me by my name and I shall offer you the same courtesy."