When Miss Brooke was at the tea-table, Sir James came to sit down by her, not having felt her mode of answering him at all offensive.  Why should he?  He thought it probable that Miss Brooke liked him, and manners must be very marked indeed before they cease to be interpreted by preconceptions either confident or distrustful.  She was thoroughly charming to him, but of course he theorized a little about his attachment.  He was made of excellent human dough, and had the rare merit of knowing that his talents, even if let loose, would not set the smallest stream in the county on fire:  hence he liked the prospect of a wife to whom he could say, “What shall we do?” about this or that; who could help her husband out with reasons, and would also have the property qualification for doing so.  As to the excessive religiousness alleged against Miss Brooke, he had a very indefinite notion of what it consisted in, and thought that it would die out with marriage.  In short, he felt himself to be in love in the right place, and was ready to endure a great deal of predominance, which, after all, a man could always put down when he liked.  Sir James had no idea that he should ever like to put down the predominance of this handsome girl, in whose cleverness he delighted.  Why not?  A man’s mind—­what there is of it—­has always the advantage of being masculine,—­as the smallest birch-tree is of a higher kind than the most soaring palm,—­and even his ignorance is of a sounder quality.  Sir James might not have originated this estimate; but a kind Providence furnishes the limpest personality with a little gunk or starch in the form of tradition.

“Let me hope that you will rescind that resolution about the horse, Miss Brooke,” said the persevering admirer.  “I assure you, riding is the most healthy of exercises.”

“I am aware of it,” said Dorothea, coldly.  “I think it would do Celia good—­if she would take to it.”

“But you are such a perfect horsewoman.”

“Excuse me; I have had very little practice, and I should be easily thrown.”

“Then that is a reason for more practice.  Every lady ought to be a perfect horsewoman, that she may accompany her husband.”

“You see how widely we differ, Sir James.  I have made up my mind that I ought not to be a perfect horsewoman, and so I should never correspond to your pattern of a lady.”  Dorothea looked straight before her, and spoke with cold brusquerie, very much with the air of a handsome boy, in amusing contrast with the solicitous amiability of her admirer.

“I should like to know your reasons for this cruel resolution.  It is not possible that you should think horsemanship wrong.”

“It is quite possible that I should think it wrong for me.”

“Oh, why?” said Sir James, in a tender tone of remonstrance.

Mr. Casaubon had come up to the table, teacup in hand, and was listening.

“We must not inquire too curiously into motives,” he interposed, in his measured way.  “Miss Brooke knows that they are apt to become feeble in the utterance:  the aroma is mixed with the grosser air.  We must keep the germinating grain away from the light.”