A sudden sense of hopelessness and loss fell over her like a
cloud--her lips quivered.

"Why should you do so?" she asked--"We do not avoid clever men!"

He smiled.

"Ah! That is different!"

She was silent. Miss Leigh looked a little distressed.

He went on lightly.

"My dear Miss Armitage, don't be angry with me!" he said--"You are
so delightfully ignorant of the ways of our sex, and I for one
heartily wish you might always remain so! But we men are
proverbially selfish-and we like to consider cleverness, or
'genius' if you will, as our own exclusive property. We hate the
feminine poacher on our particular preserves! We consider that
women were made to charm and to amuse us--not to equal us. Do you
see? When a woman is clever--perhaps cleverer than we are--she
ceases to be amusing--and we must be amused! We cannot have our
fun spoiled by the blue-stocking element,--though you--YOU do not
look in the least 'blue'!"

She turned from him in a mute vexation. She thought his talk
trifling and unmanly. Miss Leigh came to the rescue.

"No--Innocent is certainly not 'blue,'" she said, sweetly--"If by