Quietly, yet swiftly, a certain peaceful familiarity had
established itself between Hesper and Mary, to which the perfect
balance of the latter and her sense of the only true foundation
of her position contributed far more than the undefined
partiality of the former. The possibility of such a conversation
as I am now going to set down was one of the results.
"Do you like Mr. Helmer, ma'am?" asked Mary one morning, as she
was brushing her hair.
"Very well. How do you know anything of him?"
"Not many people within ten miles of Testbridge do not know Mr.
Helmer," answered Mary.
"Yes, yes, I remember," said Hesper. "He used to ride about on a
long-legged horse, and talked to anybody that would listen to
him. But there was always something pleasing about him, and he is
much improved. Do you know, he is considered really very clever?"
"I am not surprised," rejoined Mary. "He used to be rather
foolish, and that is a sign of cleverness--at least, many clever
people are foolish, I think."
"You can't have had much opportunity for making the observation,
Mary!"
"Clever people think as much of themselves in the country as they
do in London, and that is what makes them foolish," returned
Mary. "But I used to think Mr. Helmer had very good points, and
was worth doing something for--if one only knew what."
"He does not seem to want anything done for him," said Hesper.
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