The Governess decides to tell Shymour how she feels about him. She doesn't want him to know that she's in love with him, but she also wants to make sure that he's not going to hurt her in any way. She's worried that if she tells him that she loves him, he'll be so upset that he won't even want to see her anymore. She also worries that if he does, she'll get into trouble with the Governess's family, which is why she stayed away from him in the first place.