and then, and hang what came of it: "My daughter, ladies, was to my
own and her mother's certain knowledge only twenty-one last birthday,
and has as bright a heart as anybody in London." One of them actually
said that you must be fifty to have got such an experience. Her guess
was a very shrewd one in the bottom of it, however, for it was
grounded upon the way you use those strange experiences of mine in the
society that I tell you of, and dress them up as if they were yours;
and, as you see, she hit off my own age to a year. I thought it was
very sharp of her to be so right, although so wrong.

'I do not want to influence your plans in any way about things which
your school learning fits you to understand much better than I, who
never had such opportunities, but I think that if I were in your
place, Berta, I would not let my name be known just yet, for people
always want what's kept from them, and don't value what's given. I am
not sure, but I think that after the women had gone upstairs the
others turned their thoughts upon you again; what they said about you
I don't know, for if there's one thing I hate 'tis hanging about the
doors when the men begin to get moved by their wine, which they did to
a large extent to-night, and spoke very loud. They always do here,
for old Don is a hearty giver in his way. However, as you see these
people from their own level now, it is not much that I can tell you in
seeing them only from the under side, though I see strange things
sometimes, and of course--

"What great ones do the less will prattle of,"

as it says in that book of select pieces that you gave me.

'Well, my dear girl, I hope you will prosper. One thing above all