It was the one matter in which she
attempted to override the decrees of Providence, which had
obviously never intended that she should talk otherwise than
inanely.
``I don't know why I shouldn't talk cleverly,'' she would
complain; ``my mother was considered a brilliant
conversationalist.''
``These things have a way of skipping one generation,''
said the Gr
fin.
``That seems so unjust,'' said Sophie; ``one doesn't
object to one's mother having outshone one as a clever
talker, but I must admit that I should be rather annoyed if
my daughters talked brilliantly.''
``Well, none of them do,'' said the Grfin consolingly.
``I don't know about that,'' said the Baroness, promptly
veering round in defence of her offspring. ``Elsa said
something quite clever on Thursday about the Triple
Alliance. Something about it being like a paper umbrella,
that was all right as long as you didn't take it out in the
rain. It's not every one who could say that.''
``Every one has said it; at least every one that I know.
But then I know very few people.''
``I don't think you're particularly agreeable today.
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