y
easy to say why they did not like him, but such was the fact. It was not
that he overbore them by any species of assumption; he neither took on
him airs of superior station nor of superior knowledge; he was neither
insolent nor haughty; nor was he even, what sometimes is not less
resented, careless and indifferent His manner was a sort of middle term
between popularity-seeking and inattention. The most marked trait in
it was one common enough in persons who have lived much on the
Continent,--a great preference for the society of ladies making him
almost ignore or avoid the presence of the men around him. Not that
Maitland was what is called _petit maitre_; there was not any of that
flippant prettiness which is supposed to have its fascination for the
fair sex; he was quiet without any touch of over-seriousness, very
respectful, and at the same time with an insinuated friendliness as
though the person he talked to was one selected for especial cordiality;
and there was a sort of tender languor too about him, that implied some
secret care in his heart, of which each who listened to his conversation
was sure to fancy that she was one day to become the chosen depositary.

"Do you know, Bella," said Mrs. Trafford, as they sat together at the
fire in her dressing-room, "I shall end by half liking him."

"I have n't got that far, Alice, though I own that I am less in dread of
him than I was. His superiority is not so crushing as I feared it might
be; and certainly, if he be the Admirable Crichton Mark pretends he is,
he takes every possible pains to avoid all display of it."

"There may be some impertinence in that," said the other. "Did you
remark how he was a week here before he as much as owned he knew
anything of music, and listened to our weary little ballads every
evening without a word? and last night, out of pure caprice, as it
seemed, he sits down, and sings song after song of Verdi's difficult
music, with a tenor that reminds one of Mario."

"And which has quite convinced old Mrs. Maxwell that he is a
professional, or, as she called it, 'a singing man.'"

"She would call him a sketching man if she saw the caricature he made of
herself in the pony carriage, which he tore up the moment he showed it
to me."

"One thing is clear, Alice,--he means that we should like him; but he is
too clever to set about it in any vulgar spirit of captivation."

"That is, he seeks regard for personal qualities rather more than