"
This very plain piece of pagan common sense made matters worse. Mr.
Cardew seemed vexed that his wife had spoken, and there was once
more silence for quite half a minute. Miss Adela Ponsonby then rang
the bell, and Catharine, in accordance with rule, left the room.
"Rather a remarkable young woman," carelessly observed the rector.
"Decidedly!" said both the Misses Ponsonby, in perfect unison.
"She has been much neglected," continued Miss Ponsonby. "Her
manners leave much to be desired. She has evidently not been
accustomed to the forms of good society, or to express herself in
accordance with the usual practice. We have endeavoured to impress
upon her that, not only is much care necessary in the choice of
topics of conversation, but in the mode of dealing with them. I
thought it better not to encourage any further remarks from her, or
I should have pointed out that, if what you say of Dr. Johnson is
correct, as I have no doubt it is, considering the party in the
church to which he belonged, it only shows that he was unacquainted
experimentally with the consolations of religion."
"Isn't Mr. Cardew a dear?" asked Miss Arden, when she and Catharine
were together.
"I hardly understand what you mean, and I have not known Mr. Cardew
long enough to give any opinion upon him."
"How exasperating you are again! You DO know what I mean; but you
always pretend never to know what anybody means."
"I do NOT know what you mean.
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