Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-12
in this, but was fond of inquiring "What
is the use Of ambition Z"

inquired, How did you like the Count !
Didn't your prejudices yield before his
pleasant manners ?"
"No, Archer, they did not. His man
ners are good in a conventional sense-very
good. admit that. But there is some.
thing behind them which | instinctively
distrust. l can't say precisely what it is,
though it is very sensible to me. do not
and cannot believe him what he assumes
to be. He has the outgiYing, to my mind
call it prejudice or not-of an adventur-
err; and / shall never be able to put any
confidence in him. He appears to be mas
querading all the time"
"He talks well, certainly. What excel
lent English he uses!"
Excellent indeed. I've rarely known
Frenchman to speak with so little ac-
cent-it is scarcely perceptible. In fact,
it struck me as better than his French.
You may laugh at my criticism; but you
know that I've lived good deal in Paris,
and my ear is tolerably quick. Some OF
the Counts French pronunciations have al
most foreign sound. l noticed it par
ticularly when he made quotation from
Racine. He is inclined to pedantry ry-don't
you think SO? He is little too fond of
talking learnedly, of speaking of his passion
for literature"
"Yes, he is, Goodwin. To be frank, he
impresses me very much as he does you !;
and, like you, 1 can't tell why. He is
greatly liked, especially by women, at least
by some women. know others who can't
bear him."
| at is their instinct which repels them,
1 am sure"
"But how about the instinct of the
women who admire him? Haven't they in
stinct, too?"
Doubtless they have, doctor but their
instinct must be at fault"
"Of course. We men think woman's
| instinct correct only when she reflects our
| preiudices. There's vast amount of sham
about woman's instinct anyhow. Because
she doesn't reason, it is gallant to say she
depends on her instinct. The fact is she
obeys her impulses in everything, and they
are more apt to lead her wrong than right.
Woman's instinct may be as good as mans
reason but the man who reasons is one IN
ten Thousand. By the by, how do you like
Miss Royden, after making her acquaint-
ance %
"I can scarcely tell, Archer. In truth,
she puzzles me. On the whole, she scarcely
equals my preconception. Her face con-
veys more than her speech. To talk with
her is disappointment. She suggests
something that she does not redeem. 1
fancy she is rather cold negative, indeed.
tried hard to interest her by talking of
subjects which women of culture are usu-
ally enough concerned with; but l failed
entirely. She replied chiefly in monosyl-
tables. I'm inclined to think that she con-
aiders me bore; and dread the idea of
boring anybody. may be mistaken about
her. 1t may be the adverse influence of
the Count, who was near her all the time,
that affected her unfavorably. How very
disagreeable that man is to me-?
No question of that, my dear boy for
you put everything off on the Count. I'm
sorry Miss Royden has already disen-
chanted you. There's something in the
girl, whether you have found it or not.
She is the reverse of shallow. Perhaps
when you understand her you will like her
better. Hers is not the sort of character
to be comprehended by fifteen minutes
talk in drawing-room. Her nature is
deep, I suspect. She does not pin her
soul on the front of her gown, along with
her ribbons. You're too sentimental to
understand her. Nothing SO blinds man
respecting women as sentiment-or rather,
SO distorts his vision. To judge them i'm
partially, one should have made up his
mind never to marry. The bachelor habit
of mind is a great aid to discrimination.
"It pleases you, doctor, to speak of me
as sentimentalist, though I am very far
from being one. I haven't half as much
sentiment as ought to have. The circum-
stances of my life have stifed it. probably.
Much knocking about the world has aged
and hardened Inc prematurely.
"I know you think SO, Goodwin. The
worst of all sentimentalists is he who be-
lieves himself destitute of sentiment. But
sentiment is not so bad. enjoy it in
others. He who can keep any in this sell
fish, mercenary world, deserves to be con-
graduated. But here we are at your hotel.
Have you any engagement tomorrow even.
ing? No? Then dine with me at the
Club at Z? We shall be likely to meet
there some of our friends of tonight. Roy
den is member SO is his son, Philip, and
Yardley and the Count also. want you
TO join the Rensselaer,. A good many
pleasant fellows belong, and its chef can't
be beaten in Paris. He served his ap-
premiership at Vefour's. Good night.
Seven sharp, remember"