Daniel Deronda

er

f so highly,

r else se

o About

hose ladies who did not quite like her, felt a comfort in having a new, striking girl to invite; for hostesses who entertain much must make up their parties as ministers make up their cabinets, on grounds other than personal liking. T

ely left out. No youthful figure there was comparable to Gwendolen's as she passed through the long suite of rooms adorned with light and flowers, and, visible at first as a slim figure floating along in white drapery, approached through one wide doorway after another into fuller illumination and definiteness. She had never had that sort of promenade

appealed to. And his son, on the other side of the room-a hopeful young scholar, who had already suggested some "not less elegant than ingeni

, heavy and inanimate; and how Miss Arrowpoint, unfortunately also dressed in white, immediately resembled a carte-de-visite in which one would fancy the skirt alone to have been charged for. Since Miss Arrowpoint was generally like

point, later in the evening, confidentially to Mrs. Vulcany. "It is a certain style

at she had been the heiress of a fortune gained by some moist or dry business in the city, in order fully to account for her having a squat figure, a harsh parrot-like voice, and a systematically high head-dress; and since these points made her externally rather ridiculous, it appeared to many only natural that she should have what are called lite

o an imaginary dullness in others; as people who are well off speak in a cajoling tone to the poor, and those who are in the prime of life raise their voice and talk artificially to seniors, hastily conceiving them to be deaf and rather imbecile. Gwendolen, with all her cleverness and purpose to be

after dinner. "Catherine will be very glad to have so sympathetic a neighbor." This little speech might have seemed the most graceful politeness,

each me what good music is. I shall be entirely a

you know all his compositions. You must allow me to introduce him to you. You sing, I believe. Catherine plays thre

st schwach, allein di

opheles

Young ladies are so advanced now.

but there is nothing readable. The leaves all stick together and smell musty. I wish I could write books to amuse myself, as you can

r, but the perilous resemblance to satire in the last sente

anything to

u have but to begin as I did. Pen, ink, and paper are at everybody

to tell then which parts were funny and which serious. I am sure I often laugh in the wrong place." Here Gwendolen herself became aware of danger, a

ets in manuscript," said Mrs. Arrowpoint-while Gwendolen felt herself pain

friends have urged me to do so, and one doesn't like to be obst

Tasso," sai

lar nature of his madness, and his feelings for Leonora, and the real cause of his imprisonment, and the character of Leonora, who, in m

orst of writing your opinions; you make people agree with you." This speech renewed a slight suspicion in Mrs. Arrowpoint

e Gerusalemme Liberata, which we r

ed the early part of his life as a sort of romance. When one thinks

have explained these glib words than if they had been Coptic or Etruscan. "I shall be so glad

in a fine frenzy rolling'; a

madness still h

ould possess th

olen innocently. "I suppose some of them rolled their

nce of the gentlemen prevented any immediate mischief between he

us combination of the German, the Sclave and the Semite, with grand features, brown hair floating in artistic fashion, and brown eyes in spectacles. His English had little foreignness except its

cution out of question-though she was not discouraged as to her often-praised touch and style. After this every one became anxious to hear Gwendolen sing; especially Mr. Arrowpoint; as was natural in a host and a perfect gentleman, of whom no one had anything to say but that he mar

her ear good, and she was able to keep in tune, so that her singing gave pleasure to ordinary hearers, and she had been used to unmingled applause. She had the rare advantage of looking almost prettier when she

ue-if a statue can be imagined in spectacles; at least, he was as mute as a statue. Gwendolen was pressed to keep her seat and double the general pleasure, and she did not wish to refuse; but b

endings, quite unobservable in him before, and apparently depending on a change of mood, as Irishmen resume their

id not show an ungraceful resentment by moving away immediately; and Miss Arrowpoint, who had been near enough to overhear (and also to observe that Herr Klesmer's mo

in music. We can only put up with his severity, and make use of it to find out the worst that can be

self. "I dare say I have been extremely ill taught, in addition to having no talent-only liking

r notes badly; and that music which you sing is beneath you. It is a form of melody which expresses a puerile state of culture-a dawdling, canting, see-saw kind of stuff-the passion and thought of people without any breadth of horizon.

ead, this first encounter in her campaign was startling. But she was bent on not behaving foolishly, and Miss Arrowpoint helped her by saying, "Yes, by-and-by. I al

having an imperious magic in his fingers that seem to send a nerve-thrill through ivory key and wooden hammer, and compel the strings to make a quivering lingering speech for him. Gwendolen, in spite of her wounded egoism, had fullness of nature enough to feel the power of this playing, and it gradually turned her inward sob of morti

nner, and came up to renew conversation as soon as Herr Klesmer's performance was ended, "That is the style of music for me. I never can make anything

er song from you would be a relaxation," said Mrs. Arr

rned that. I have been taught how bad my taste is, and am feeling growing pains. They are never pleasant," s

and as there was a perceptible outburst of imprisoned conversation just then, and a movement of guests seeking each oth

," said young Clintock, well-pleased

o be a little of everything

ther equivo

absurdity, for example, is very amusing. I am thankf

ved quite a new tone in Gwendolen's speech, and felt a

croquet club. You are one of the archers, I think. But depend upon it croquet is the game of the future. It wants writing up, though.

o-morrow. I shall take t

quet. I will send you Jenning's poem

reat frien

, rat

promise not to catechise me upon it and ask me which part I like best? Because it is

, "this girl is double and satirical

ve larger grounds than those of personal liking, but because the trying little scene at the piano had awakened a kindly solicitude