“My dear friend, I see that, with all your accomplishments, you have something to learn.  You want insight into female character.  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.”

“No, I thank you.  I have no wish to go beyond Mr. and Miss Dodd.”

“Oh, only for an experiment.  The first minute Jack will be wretched, and want to sink through the floor; but in five minutes you will fancy Lucy will have made Jack Absolom at home in my drawing-room.  He will be laying down the law about Jonquilles, and she all sweetness, curiosity, and enthusiasm outside—­ennui in.”

“Can her eyes glisten out of politeness?” inquired Talboys, with a subdued sneer.

“Why not?”

“They could shed tears, perhaps, for the same motive?” said Talboys, with crushing irony.

“Well!  Hum!  I’d back them at four to seven.”

Mr. Talboys was silent, and his manner showed that he was a little mortified at a subject turning to joke which he had commenced seriously.  He must stop this annoyance.  He said severely, “It is time to come to an understanding with you.”

At these words, and, above all, at their solemn tone, the senior pricked his ears and prepared his social diplomacy.

“I have visited very frequently at your house, Mr. Fountain.”

“Never without being welcome, my dear sir.”

“You have, I think, divined one reason of my very frequent visits here.”