'Do, mamma. Everybody says that she is very nice.'
'It will be so kind of you, Lady Staveley,' said Sophia Furnival.
'Next week she will be staying with us,' said Mrs. Orme. 'And that would save you three miles, you know, and we should be so glad to see you.'
Lady Staveley declared that she would do both. She would call at The Cleeve, and again at Orley Farm after Lady Mason's return home. She well understood, though she could not herself then say so, that the greater part of the advantage to be received from her kindness would be derived from its being known at Hamworth that the Staveley carriage had been driven up to Lady Mason's door.
'Her son is very clever, is he not?' said Madeline, addressing herself to Miss Furnival.
Sophia shrugged her shoulders and put her head on one side with a pretty grace. 'Yes, I believe so. People say so. But who is to tell whether a young man be clever or no?'
'But some are so much more clever than others. Don't you think so?'
'Oh yes, as some girls are so much prettier than others. But if Mr. Mason were to talk Greek to you, you would not think him clever.'
'I should not understand him, you know.'
'Of course not; but you would understand that he was a blockhead to show off his learning in that way. You don't want him to be clever, you see; you only want him to be agreeable.'
'I don't know that I want either the one or the other.'
'Do you not? I know I do. I think that young men in society are bound to be agreeable, and that they should not be there if they do not know how to talk pleasantly, and to give something in return for all the trouble we take for them.'
'I don't take any trouble for them,' said Madeline laughing.
'Surely you must, if you only think of it. All ladies do, and so they ought. But if in return for that a man merely talks Greek to me, I, for my part, do not think that the bargain is fairly carried out.'
'I declare you will make me quite afraid of Mr. Mason.'
'Oh, he never talks Greek:—at least he never has to me. I rather like him. But what I mean is this, that I do not think a man a bit more likely to be agreeable because he has the reputation of being very clever. For my part I rather think that I like stupid young men.'
'Oh, do you? Then now I shall know what you think of Augustus. We think he is very clever; but I do not know any man who makes himself more popular with young ladies.'
'Ah, then he is a gay deceiver.'
'He is gay enough, but I am sure he is no deceiver. A man may
