Now I, who
must go to school to you on most points, can be of use to you here."
Then, seeing that Talboys was mortified at being told thus gently
there was a department of learning he had not fathomed, he added: "At
all events, I can interpret my own niece to you. I have known her much
longer than you have."
Mr. Talboys requested the interpreter to explain the pleasure his
niece took in Mr. Dodd's fiddle.
"Part politeness, part sham. Why, she wanted not to ask them this
evening, the fiddle especially. I'll give you the clue to Lucy; she is
a female Chesterfield, and the droll thing is she is polite at heart
as well. Takes it from her mother: she was something between an angel
and a duchess."
"Politeness does not account for the sort of partiality she showed for
these Dodds while I was in the room."
"Pure imagination, my dear friend. I was there; and had so monstrous a
phenomenon occurred I must have seen it. If you think she could really
prefer their society to yours, you are as unjust to her as yourself.
She may have concealed her real preference out of _finesse,_ or
perhaps she has observed that our inferiors are touchy, and ready to
fancy we slight them for those of our own rank."
Talboys shrugged his shoulders; he was but half convinced. "Her
enthusiasm when the cub scraped the fiddle went beyond mere
politeness."
"Beyond other people's, you mean. Nothing on earth ever went beyond
hers--ha! ha! ha! To-morrow night, if you like, we will have my
gardener, Jack Absolom, in to tea.
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