of the greater questions. Otherwise the
world presents itself to them under too settled an aspect--unless, of
course, Vesuvian Revolution shakes the land. And that touches only their
nerves. I dream of some old Judge! There is one--if having caught
we could keep him. But I dread so tricksy a pilot. You have guessed
him--the ancient Puck! We have laughed all day over the paper telling
us of his worrying the Lords. Lady Esquart congratulates her husband on
being out of it. Puck 'biens ride' and bewigged might perhaps--except
that at the critical moment he would be sure to plead allegiance
to Oberon. However, the work will be performed by some one: I am
prophetic:--when maidens are grandmothers!--when your Tony is wearing a
perpetual laugh in the unhusbanded regions where there is no institution
of the wedding-tie.'

For the reason that she was not to participate in the result of the old
Judge's or young hero's happy championship of the cause of her sex, she
conceived her separateness high aloof, and actually supposed she was a
contemplative, simply speculative political spirit, impersonal albeit a
woman. This, as Emma, smiling at the lines, had not to learn, was always
her secret pride of fancy--the belief in her possession of a disengaged
intellect.

The strange illusion, so clearly exposed to her correspondent, was
maintained through a series of letters very slightly descriptive, dated
from the Piraeus, the Bosphorus, the coasts of the Crimea, all more or
less relating to the latest news of the journals received on board the
yacht, and of English visitors fresh from the country she now seemed
fond of calling 'home.' Politics, and gentle allusions to the curious
exhibition of 'love in marriage' shown by her amiable host and hostess:
'these dear Esquarts, who are never tired of one another, but courtly
courting, tempting me to think it possible that a fortunate selection
and a mutual deference may subscribe to human happiness:--filled the
paragraphs. Reviews of her first literary venture were mentioned once:
'I was well advised by Mr. Redworth in putting ANTONIA for authoress.
She is a buff jerkin to the stripes, and I suspect that the signature
of D. E. M., written in full, would have cawed woefully to hear that
her style is affected, her characters nullities, her cleverness forced,
etc., etc. As it is, I have much the same contempt for poor Antonia's
performance. Cease penning, little fool! She writes, "with some
com