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'Well； no； for what between continually wanting to love； to escape
the blank lives of those who do not； and wanting not to love； to
keep out of the miseries of those who do； I get foolishly warm and
foolishly cold by turns。'
'Yesand I am like you as far as the 〃foolishly〃 goes。 I wish we
poor girls could contrive to bring a little wisdom into our love by
way of a change！'
'That's the very thing that leading minds in town have begun to do；
but there are difficulties。 It is easy to love wisely； but the rich
man may not marry you； and it is not very hard to reject wisely； but
the poor man doesn't care。 Altogether it is a precious problem。
But shall we clamber out upon those shining blocks of rock； and find
some of the little yellow shells that are in the crevices？ I have
ten minutes longer； and then I must go。'
7。 THE DINING…ROOM OF A TOWN HOUSE … THE BUTLER'S PANTRY
A few weeks later there was a friendly dinner…party at the house of
a gentleman called Doncastle； who lived in a moderately fashionable
square of west London。 All the friends and relatives present were
nice people； who exhibited becoming signs of pleasure and gaiety at
being there； but as regards the vigour with which these emotions
were expressed； it may be stated that a slight laugh from far down
the throat and a slight narrowing of the eye were equivalent as
indices of the degree of mirth felt to a Ha…ha…ha！ and a shaking of
the shoulders among the minor traders of the kingdom； and to a Ho…
ho…ho！ contorted features； purple face； and stamping foot among the
gentlemen in corduroy and fustian who adorn the remoter provinces。
The conversation was chiefly about a volume of musical； tender； and
humorous rhapsodies lately issued to the world in the guise of
verse； which had been reviewed and talked about everywhere。 This
topic； beginning as a private dialogue between a young painter named
Ladywell and the lady on his right hand； had enlarged its ground by
degrees； as a subject will extend on those rare occasions when it
happens to be one about which each person has thought something
beforehand； instead of； as in the natural order of things； one to
which the oblivious listener replies mechanically； with earnest
features； but with thoughts far away。 And so the whole table made
the matter a thing to inquire or reply upon at once； and isolated
rills of other chat died out like a river in the sands。
'Witty things； and occasionally Anacreontic： and they have the
originality which such a style must naturally possess when carried
out by a feminine hand；' said Ladywell。
'If it is a feminine hand；' said a man near。
Ladywell looked as if he sometimes knew secrets； though he did not
wish to boast。
'Written； I presume you mean； in the Anacreontic measure of three
feet and a halfspondees and iambics？' said a gentleman in
spectacles； glancing round； and giving emphasis to his inquiry by
causing bland glares of a circular shape to proceed from his glasses
towards the person interrogated。
The company appeared willing to give consideration to the words of a
man who knew such things as that； and hung forward to listen。 But
Ladywell stopped the whole current of affairs in that direction by
saying
'O no； I was speaking rather of the matter and tone。 In fact； the
Seven Days' Review said they were Anacreontic； you know； and so they
areany one may feel they are。'
The general look then implied a false encouragement； and the man in
spectacles looked down again； being a nervous person； who never had
time to show his merits because he was so much occupied in hiding
his faults。
'Do you know the authoress； Mr。 Neigh？' continued Ladywell。
'Can't say that I do；' he replied。
Neigh was a man who never disturbed the flesh upon his face except
when he was obliged to do so； and paused ten seconds where other
people only paused one； as he moved his chin in speaking； motes of
light from under the candle…shade caught； lost； and caught again the
outlying threads of his burnished beard。
'She will be famous some day； and you ought at any rate to read her
book。'
'Yes； I ought； I know。 In fact； some years ago I should have done
it immediately； because I had a reason for pushing on that way just
then。'
'Ah； what was that？'
'Well； I thought of going in for Westminster Abbey myself at that
time； but a fellow has so much to do； and'
'What a pity that you didn't follow it up。 A man of your powers；
Mr。 Neigh'
'Afterwards I found I was too steady for it； and had too much of the
respectable householder in me。 Besides； so many other men are on
the same tack； and then I didn't care about it； somehow。'
'I don't understand high art； and am utterly in the dark on what are
the true laws of criticism；' a plain married lady； who wore
archaeological jewellery； was saying at this time。 'But I know that
I have derived an unusual amount of amusement from those verses； and
I am heartily thankful to 〃E。〃 for them。'
'I am afraid；' said a gentleman who was suffering from a bad shirt…
front； 'that an estimate which depends upon feeling in that way is
not to be trusted as permanent opinion。'
The subject now flitted to the other end。
'Somebody has it that when the heart flies out before the
understanding； it saves the judgment a world of pains；' came from a
voice in that quarter。
'I； for my part； like something merry；' said an elderly woman； whose
face was bisected by the edge of a shadow； which toned her forehead
and eyelids to a livid neutral tint； and left her cheeks and mouth
like metal at a white heat in the uninterrupted light。 'I think the
liveliness of those ballads as great a recommendation as any。 After
all； enough misery is known to us by our experiences and those of
our friends； and what we see in the newspapers； for all purposes of
chastening； without having gratuitous grief inflicted upon us。'
'But you would not have wished that 〃Romeo and Juliet〃 should have
ended happily； or that Othello should have discovered the perfidy of
his Ancient in time to prevent all fatal consequences？'
'I am not afraid to go so far as that；' said the old lady。
'Shakespeare is not everybody； and I am sure that thousands of
people who have seen those plays would have driven home more
cheerfully afterwards if by some contrivance the characters could
all have been joined together respectively。 I uphold our anonymous
author on the general ground of her levity。'
'Well； it is an old and worn argumentthat about the inexpedience
of tragedyand much may be said on both sides。 It is not to be
denied that the anonymous Sappho's versesfor it seems that she is
really a womanare clever。'
'Clever！' said Ladywellthe young man who had been one of the
shooting…party at Sandbourne'they are marvellously brilliant。'
'She is rather warm in her assumed character。'
'That's a sign of her actual coldness； she lets off her feeling in
theoretic grooves； and there is sure to be none left for practical
ones。 Whatever seems to be the most prominent vice； or the most
prominent virtue in anybody's writing is the one thing you are
safest from in personal dealings with the writer。'