“Well, you cannot disapprove of Laura,” said Mrs. Fluffy, trying to turn the conversation.  “I left her in her room reading.”

“‘Disapprove’ of her?  The word is not strong enough for my feelings.  Neither of your girls has the least bit of common sense; but I don’t wonder, with such a mother!  A girl who gets a reputation for being learned and saying brilliant things might just as well give up matrimony altogether.  Men are either afraid of them or detest them:  gentlemen don’t like to puzzle their brains over a witticism, nor do they admire chaffing that is beyond their comprehension.  Courtship should be made easy.  My Jane was clever, and vexed me a great deal in consequence, daughters of that kind are so unmanageable:  give me the most stupid in preference.  It is pleasant to a husband to feel his superiority, to look down on his wife.  The mediocre is the girl I take most delight in.  There are so many mediocre men that they are sure to get suited without giving you much anxiety.”

“Jane,” exclaimed Mrs. Fluffy with a burst of admiration, “you are so clever I wonder you ever were married.  Did Mr. Stunner appreciate that kind of women?”

“La! no.  I had the sense to conceal my talents.  Take my word for it, superior people as a class are never liked, unless they do as I did—­conceal it, conceal it.”

“I am glad I was not born talented:  I fear I could not succeed in hiding it as you do.”  Mrs. F. was too stupid for sarcasm, else I should have thought—­

“Now be frank with me, Sarah,” broke in Mrs. Stunner, scattering my thoughts:  “who is paying attention to Eva now?”

“Well,” replied the other, appearing to recollect, “there is Mr. Rich:  he asked her to ride with him.”

“More than once?”

“No, not more, but it was only day before yesterday.”

“Ah! he may ask her again:  once means nothing.  A gentleman may ask her for pastime, or to make some one else jealous, or out of good-nature, but to a girl properly brought up once is a chance—­it is a good start.”  (Mrs. S.’s late husband was fond of racing.) “It rests entirely with her to make the once twice, the twice thrice, and so on; for if she is amusing and don’t talk love, he will be sure to ask her again.”

“‘Don’t talk love’?  Why, Jane, you surprise me!  I thought that was the proper thing to do.”

“Just where people mistake.  The most stupid man can talk love if he feels love.  Let girls be agreeable, sweet and charming, but without especial effort to appear so, and when gentlemen are captivated they will do their own love-making.”

“Dear me!” was the reply.

“Yes, I protest against young ladies throwing themselves at the head of every marriageable gentleman they see.  They should think of the effect it will have.”

“But they are so unworldly that they don’t think of effect,” said Mrs. Fluffy.

“Humph!” ejaculated the widow in a tone of incredulity.