out of his depth, aware also of the danger of showing that he dared not
venture, and incapable of deciding between these equal fears: but soon he
was re-assured by the calmness of his son. Cunningham, who had not so much
information or capacity, but who had less sensibility than his father,
often succeeded where his father's timidity prognosticated failure. Indeed,
on the present occasion, the care which the young diplomatist took not to
commit himself, the dexterity with which he "helped himself by countenance
and gesture," and "was judicious by signs," proved that he was well skilled
in all those arts of _seeming wise_, which have been so well noted for
use by "the greatest, wisest, meanest of mankind." Young though he was,
Cunningham was quite sufficiently slow, circumspect, and solemn, to deserve
to be ranked among those whom Bacon calls _Formalists_, "who do nothing, or
little, very solemnly--who seem always to keep back somewhat; and when they
know within themselves that they speak of what they do not know, would,
nevertheless, seem to others to know that of which they may not well
speak."

Lord Oldborough listened to whatever he said, and marked all that he did
not say with an air of attentive composure, which, as Mr. Falconer thought,
augured well for his son; but now and then there was, for scarcely a
definable portion of time, an expression of humour in his lordship's eye, a
sarcastic smile, which escaped the commissioner's observation, and which,
even if he had observed, he could not, with his limited knowledge of Lord
Oldborough's character, have rightly interpreted. If his lordship had
expressed his thoughts, perhaps, they might have been, though in words less
quaint, nearly the same as those of the philosophic statesman, who says,
"It is a ridiculous thing, and fit for a satire to persons of judgment,
to see what shifts these _formalists_ have, and what prospectives to make
superficies to seem body that hath depth and bulk."