r."

"Umph! and what are they?"

"Truth, sincerity, independence, and honesty of mind."

"My dear Lucy, it has been the professional study of my life to discover
a man's character, especially so far as truth is concerned, in as short
a time as possible; but you excel me in intuition, if you can tell
whether there be sincerity in a courtier's character at the first
interview you have with him."

"Nevertheless, I am sure of my opinion," said Lucy, laughing; "and I
will tell you one instance I observed among a hundred. Lord Mauleverer
is rather deaf, and he imagined, in conversation, that my father said
one thing--it was upon a very trifling subject, the speech of some
member of parliament [the lawyer smiled],--when in reality he meant to
say another. Lord Mauleverer, in the warmest manner in the world,
chimed in with him, appeared thoroughly of his opinion, applauded his
sentiments, and wished the whole country of his mind. Suddenly my father
spoke; Lord Mauleverer bent down his ear, and found that the sentiments
he had so lauded were exactly those my father the least favoured.
No sooner did he make this discovery than he wheeled round
again,--dexterously and gracefully, I allow; condemned all that he had
before extolled, and extolled all that he had before abused!"

"And is that all, Lucy?" said Brandon, with a keener sneer on his lip
than the occasion warranted. "Why, that is what every one does; only
some more gravely than others. Mauleverer in society, I at the bar, the
minister in parliament, friend to friend, lover to mistress, mistress to
lover,--half of us are employed in saying white is black, and the other
half in swearing that black is white. There is only one difference, my
pretty niece, between the clever man and the fool: the fool says what is
false while the colours stare in his face and give him the lie; but the
clever man takes as it were a brush and literally turns the black into
white and the white into black before he makes the assertion, which is
then true. The fool changes, and is a liar; the clever man makes the
colours change, and is a genius. But this is not for your young years
yet, Lucy."

"But I can't see the necessity of seeming to agree with people," said
Lucy, simply; "surely they would be just as well pleased if you differed
from them civilly and with respect?"

"No, Lucy," said Brandon, still sneering; "to be liked, it is not
necessary to be anything but compliant. Lie, cheat, make