Now that is my excuse,
Mr. Mangan, for being such a dreadful bore; and I am _so_ much obliged
to you for your kind advice about the title; it is so easy for clever
people to be kind--just a word, and it's done. Thank you," said she, as
he took her cup from her and placed it on the table; and then, before
she left him, she ventured to say, with a charming modesty, "I'm sure
you will forgive me, Mr. Mangan, but if I were to send you a copy of the
book, might I hope that you would find ten minutes to glance over it?"
"I am certain I shall read it with very great interest," said he; and
that was strictly true, for this Lady Adela Cunyngham completely puzzled
him; she seemed so extraordinary a combination of a clever woman of the
world and an awful fool.
And Lionel? Well, he had got introduced to Miss Gabrielle Grey, whom he
found to be a very quiet, shy, pensive sort of creature, not posing as a
distinguished person at all. He dared not talk to her of her books, for
he did not even know the names of them; but he let her understand that
he knew she was an authoress, and it seemed to please her to know that
her fame had penetrated into the mysterious regions behind the
footlights.
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