"Edgerton does not appear to me to look so badly," I said to Julia,
after his departure for the evening.
"I don't know," she answered; "he looks very pale and miserable."
"Quite interesting!" I added, with a smile which might have been
a sneer.
"Painfully so. He can not last very long--his cough is very
troublesome."
"Indeed! I scarcely heard it. He is certainly a very fine-looking
fellow still, consumption or no consumption."
She was silent.
"A very graceful fellow: very generous and with accomplishments
such as are possessed by few. I have often envied him his person
and accomplishments."
"You!" she exclaimed, with something like an expression of incredulity.
"Yes!--that is to say, when I was a youth, and when I thought more
of commending myself to your eyes, than of anything besides."
"Ah!" she replied with an assuring smile, "you never needed qualities
other than your own to commend yourself to me."
"Pleasant hypocrite! And yet, Julia, would you not be better pleased
if I could draw and color, and talk landscape with you by the hour?"
"No! I have never thought of your doing anything of the kind."
"Like begets liking."
"It may be, but I do not think so. I do not think we love people
so much for what they can do, as for what they are."
"Ah, Julia, that is a great mistake. It is a law in morals, that
the qualities of men should depend upon their performances. What
a man is, results from what he does, and so we judge of persons.
Edgerton is a noble fellow; his tastes are very fine. I suspect he
can form as correct an opinion of a fine picture as any one--perhaps,
paint it as finely."
She was silent.
"Do you not think so, Julia?"
"I think he paints very well for an amateur."
"He is certainly a man of exquisite taste in most matters of taste
and elegance. I have always thought his manners particularly easy
and dignified. His carriage is at once manly and graceful; and his
dancing--do you not think he dances with admirable flexibility?"
"Really, Edward, I can scarcely regard dancing as a manly
accomplishment. It is necessary that a gentleman should dance,
perhaps, but it appears to me that he should do so simply because
it is necessary; and to pass through the measure without ostentation
or offence should be his simple object."
"These are not usually the opinions of ladies, Julia."
"They are mine, however."
"You are not sure. You will think otherwise to-morrow. At all
events, I think there can be little doubt that Edgerton is one of
the best dancers in the circle we have left; he has the happiest
taste in painting and poetry; and a more noble gentleman and true
friend does not exist anywhere. I know not to whom I could more
freely confide life, wealth, and honor, than to him."