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"I have read his book," said her victim

"Yes, but did you not know him at Oxford? You were there with hiether I knew hiht, of course, for he was a very well-known person But, you see, we belonged to very different sets"

"How do you an Mr Hoddam aardly--absolute honesty was one of his characteristics--"he was very well off, and he lived with a sporting set, and he was very exclusive"

"But I thought he was clever--I thought he was rather brilliant?"

"Oh, he was! Indubitably! He got everything he wanted, but then he got thes, whereas ot the best First of his year and the St Chad's Fellowship, but I think he cared farthe 'Varsity Grind Men who knew hiood fellow, but he had scores of rich sporting friends, and nobody else ever got to know hiave one the impression that he was a tremendous swell, you know, and rather conceited People used to think hi I suppose he was quite the ablest man that had been there for years, but I should think he would succeed ultiive hiirl

"I don'tentirely fascinated by him But he was never, I think, really popular He was supposed to be intolerant of mediocrity; and also he used to offend quite honest, si their beliefs very cavalierly I used to coh or Henri IV--the proud, confident man of action"

Alice had pondered over Mr Hoddam's confessions and was prepared to receive the visitor with coldness The vigorous little deance Before, if she had asked herself what type on earth she hated most, she would have decided for the unscrupulous, proud man And yet this Lewis must be lovable That brown face had infinite attractiveness, and she trusted Lady Manorwater's acuteness and goodness of heart

Lord Manorwater had gone off on soer Miss Afflint with him As Alice looked round the little assenificance of the e Mr Stocks was not at his best in such surroundings He was the typical townsman, and bore with him wherever he went an atered for ostentation, he could only talk hen he felt that he impressed his hearers; Bertha, as not easily iue The man, reflected the censorious Alice, had no shades or half-tones in his character; he was all bald, strong, and crude Noas talking to his hostess with the grace of the wise