the polished forms of society, humbling himself in all the hypocrisy of
politeness; with ascetic good-breeding, preferring every creature's ease
and convenience to his own, practising a continual system of self-denial,
such as almost implied a total annihilation of self-interest and self-love.
All this was strikingly contrasted with the selfishness which he had
recently betrayed, when he was in personal danger. Yet the influence of
polite manners prevailed so far as to make his former conduct be forgotten
by most of the family.

After dinner, when the ladies retired, in the female privy council held
to discuss the merits of the absent gentlemen, Rosamond spoke first, and
during the course of five minutes pronounced as many contradictory opinions
of M. de Tourville, as could well be enunciated in the same space of
time.--At last she paused, and her mother smiled.

"I understand your smile, mother," said Rosamond; "but the reason I appear
a _little_ to contradict myself sometimes in my judgment of character is,
because I speak my thoughts just as they rise in my mind, while persons
who have a character for judgment to support always keep the changes of
their opinion snug to themselves, never showing the items of the account
on either side, and let you see nothing but their balance.--This is very
grand, and, if their balance be right, very glorious.--But ignominious
as my mode of proceeding may seem, exposing me to the rebukes, derision,
uplifted hands and eyes of my auditors, yet exactly because I am checked at
every little mistake I make in my accounts, the chance is in my favour that
my totals should at last be right, and my balance perfectly accurate."

"Very true, my dear: as long as you choose for your auditors only your
friends, you are wise; but you sometimes lay your accounts open to
strangers; and as they see only your errors, without ever coming to your