“It’sinsolentto——“saidRachel，andstopped。Shedidnotknowexactlywhyshehadbeenmadesoangry。Withagreateffortshepulledherselftogether。
　　“Oh，well，“sheadded，thevisionofHelenandhermockerybeforeher，“IdaresayI’mafool。“Shemadeasthoughsheweregoingbackintotheballroom，butHewetstoppedher。
　　“Pleaseexplaintome，“hesaid。“IfeelsureHirstdidn’tmeantohurtyou。“
　　WhenRacheltriedtoexplain，shefounditverydifficult。
　　Shecouldnotsaythatshefoundthevisionofherselfwalkinginacrocodilewithherhairdownherbackpeculiarlyunjustandhorrible，norcouldsheexplainwhyHirst’sassumptionofthesuperiorityofhisnatureandexperiencehadseemedtohernotonlygallingbutterrible——asifagatehadclangedinherface。
　　PacingupanddowntheterracebesideHewetshesaidbitterly:
　　“It’snogood；weshouldliveseparate；wecannotunderstandeachother；
　　weonlybringoutwhat’sworst。“
　　Hewetbrushedasidehergeneralisationastothenaturesofthetwosexes，forsuchgeneralisationsboredhimandseemedtohimgenerallyuntrue。But，knowingHirst，heguessedfairlyaccuratelywhathadhappened，and，thoughsecretlymuchamused，wasdeterminedthatRachelshouldnotstoretheincidentawayinhermindtotakeitsplaceintheviewshehadoflife。
　　“Nowyou’llhatehim，“hesaid，“whichiswrong。PooroldHirst——
　　hecan’thelphismethod。Andreally，MissVinrace，hewasdoinghisbest；
　　hewaspayingyouacompliment——hewastrying——hewastrying——“
　　hecouldnotfinishforthelaughterthatovercamehim。
　　Rachelveeredroundsuddenlyandlaughedouttoo。ShesawthattherewassomethingridiculousaboutHirst，andperhapsaboutherself。
　　“It’shiswayofmakingfriends，Isuppose，“shelaughed。“Well——I
　　shalldomypart。Ishallbegin——’Uglyinbody，repulsiveinmindasyouare，Mr。Hirst——“
　　“Hear，hear！“criedHewet。“That’sthewaytotreathim。Yousee，MissVinrace，youmustmakeallowancesforHirst。He’slivedallhislifeinfrontofalooking-glass，sotospeak，inabeautifulpanelledroom，hungwithJapaneseprintsandlovelyoldchairsandtables，justonesplashofcolour，youknow，intherightplace，——
　　betweenthewindowsIthinkitis，——andtherehesitshourafterhourwithhistoesonthefender，talkingaboutphilosophyandGodandhisliverandhisheartandtheheartsofhisfriends。
　　They’reallbroken。Youcan’texpecthimtobeathisbestinaballroom。Hewantsacosy，smoky，masculineplace，wherehecanstretchhislegsout，andonlyspeakwhenhe’sgotsomethingtosay。
　　Formyself，Ifinditratherdreary。ButIdorespectit。
　　They’reallsomuchinearnest。Theydotaketheseriousthingsveryseriously。“
　　ThedescriptionofHirst’swayoflifeinterestedRachelsomuchthatshealmostforgotherprivategrudgeagainsthim，andherrespectrevived。
　　“Theyarereallyverycleverthen？“sheasked。
　　“Ofcoursetheyare。SofarasbrainsgoIthinkit’struewhathesaidtheotherday；they’rethecleverestpeopleinEngland。But——
　　yououghttotakehiminhand，“headded。“There’sagreatdealmoreinhimthan’severbeengotat。Hewantssomeonetolaughathim……TheideaofHirsttellingyouthatyou’vehadnoexperiences！
　　PooroldHirst！“
　　Theyhadbeenpacingupanddowntheterracewhiletheytalked，andnowonebyonethedarkwindowswereuncurtainedbyaninvisiblehand，andpanesoflightfellregularlyatequalintervalsuponthegrass。
　　Theystoppedtolookinatthedrawing-room，andperceivedMr。Pepperwritingaloneatatable。
　　“There’sPepperwritingtohisaunt，“saidHewet。“Shemustbeaveryremarkableoldlady，eighty-fivehetellsme，andhetakesherforwalkingtoursintheNewForest……Pepper！“
　　hecried，rappingonthewindow。“Goanddoyourduty。MissAllanexpectsyou。“
　　Whentheycametothewindowsoftheballroom，theswingofthedancersandtheliltofthemusicwasirresistible。
　　“Shallwe？“saidHewet，andtheyclaspedhandsandsweptoffmagnificentlyintothegreatswirlingpool。Althoughthiswasonlythesecondtimetheyhadmet，thefirsttimetheyhadseenamanandwomankissingeachother，andthesecondtimeMr。Hewethadfoundthatayoungwomanangryisverylikeachild。Sothatwhentheyjoinedhandsinthedancetheyfeltmoreattheireasethanisusual。
　　Itwasmidnightandthedancewasnowatitsheight。Servantswerepeepinginatthewindows；thegardenwassprinkledwiththewhiteshapesofcouplessittingout。Mrs。ThornburyandMrs。Elliotsatsidebysideunderapalmtree，holdingfans，handkerchiefs，andbroochesdepositedintheirlapsbyflushedmaidens。
　　Occasionallytheyexchangedcomments。
　　“MissWarrington_does_lookhappy，“saidMrs。Elliot；theybothsmiled；
　　theybothsighed。
　　“Hehasagreatdealofcharacter，“saidMrs。Thornbury，alludingtoArthur。
　　“Andcharacteriswhatonewants，“saidMrs。Elliot。“Nowthatyoungmanis_clever_enough，“sheadded，noddingatHirst，whocamepastwithMissAllanonhisarm。
　　“Hedoesnotlookstrong，“saidMrs。Thornbury。“Hiscomplexionisnotgood——ShallItearitoff？“sheasked，forRachelhadstopped，consciousofalongstriptrailingbehindher。
　　“Ihopeyouareenjoyingyourselves？“Hewetaskedtheladies。
　　“Thisisaveryfamiliarpositionforme！“smiledMrs。Thornbury。
　　“Ihavebroughtoutfivedaughters——andtheyallloveddancing！
　　Youloveittoo，MissVinrace？“sheasked，lookingatRachelwithmaternaleyes。“IknowIdidwhenIwasyourage。HowIusedtobegmymothertoletmestay——andnowIsympathisewiththepoormothers——
　　butIsympathisewiththedaughterstoo！“
　　Shesmiledsympathetically，andatthesametimeratherkeenly，atRachel。
　　“Theyseemtofindagreatdealtosaytoeachother，“saidMrs。Elliot，lookingsignificantlyatthebacksofthecoupleastheyturnedaway。
　　“Didyounoticeatthepicnic？Hewastheonlypersonwhocouldmakeherutter。“
　　“Herfatherisaveryinterestingman，“saidMrs。Thornbury。
　　“HehasoneofthelargestshippingbusinessesinHull。Hemadeaveryablereply，youremember，toMr。Asquithatthelastelection。
　　ItissointerestingtofindthatamanofhisexperienceisastrongProtectionist。“
　　Shewouldhavelikedtodiscusspolitics，whichinterestedhermorethanpersonalities，butMrs。ElliotwouldonlytalkabouttheEmpireinalessabstractform。
　　“IheartherearedreadfulaccountsfromEnglandabouttherats，“
　　shesaid。“Asister-in-law，wholivesatNorwich，tellsmeithasbeenquiteunsafetoorderpoultry。Theplague——yousee。
　　Itattackstherats，andthroughthemothercreatures。“
　　“Andthelocalauthoritiesarenottakingpropersteps？“
　　askedMrs。Thornbury。
　　“Thatshedoesnotsay。Butshedescribestheattitudeoftheeducatedpeople——whoshouldknowbetter——ascallousintheextreme。
　　Ofcourse，mysister-in-lawisoneofthoseactivemodernwomen，whoalwaystakesthingsup，youknow——thekindofwomanoneadmires，thoughonedoesnotfeel，atleastIdonotfeel——butthenshehasaconstitutionofiron。“
　　Mrs。Elliot，broughtbacktotheconsiderationofherowndelicacy，heresighed。
　　“Averyanimatedface，“saidMrs。Thornbury，lookingatEvelynM。whohadstoppednearthemtopintightascarletfloweratherbreast。
　　Itwouldnotstay，and，withaspiritedgestureofimpatience，shethrustitintoherpartner’sbutton-hole。Hewasatallmelancholyyouth，whoreceivedthegiftasaknightmightreceivehislady’stoken。
　　“Verytryingtotheeyes，“wasMrs。Eliot’snextremark，afterwatchingtheyellowwhirlinwhichsofewofthewhirlershadeithernameorcharacterforher，forafewminutes。Burstingoutofthecrowd，Helenapproachedthem，andtookavacantchair。
　　“MayIsitbyyou？“shesaid，smilingandbreathingfast。
　　“IsupposeIoughttobeashamedofmyself，“shewenton，sittingdown，“atmyage。“
　　Herbeauty，nowthatshewasflushedandanimated，wasmoreexpansivethanusual，andboththeladiesfeltthesamedesiretotouchher。
　　“I_am_enjoyingmyself，“shepanted。“Movement——isn’titamazing？“
　　“Ihavealwaysheardthatnothingcomesuptodancingifoneisagooddancer，“saidMrs。Thornbury，lookingatherwithasmile。
　　Helenswayedslightlyasifshesatonwires。
　　“Icoulddanceforever！“shesaid。“Theyoughttoletthemselvesgomore！“sheexclaimed。“Theyoughttoleapandswing。Look！
　　Howtheymince！“
　　“HaveyouseenthosewonderfulRussiandancers？“beganMrs。Elliot。
　　ButHelensawherpartnercomingandroseasthemoonrises。
　　Shewashalfroundtheroombeforetheytooktheireyesoffher，fortheycouldnothelpadmiringher，althoughtheythoughtitalittleoddthatawomanofherageshouldenjoydancing。
　　DirectlyHelenwasleftaloneforaminuteshewasjoinedbySt。JohnHirst，whohadbeenwatchingforanopportunity。
　　“Shouldyoumindsittingoutwithme？“heasked。“I’mquiteincapableofdancing。“HepilotedHelentoacornerwhichwassuppliedwithtwoarm-chairs，andthusenjoyedtheadvantageofsemi-privacy。Theysatdown，andforafewminutesHelenwastoomuchundertheinfluenceofdancingtospeak。
　　“Astonishing！“sheexclaimedatlast。“Whatsortofshapecanshethinkherbodyis？“Thisremarkwascalledforthbyaladywhocamepastthem，waddlingratherthanwalking，andleaningonthearmofastoutmanwithglobulargreeneyessetinafatwhiteface。Somesupportwasnecessary，forshewasverystout，andsocompressedthattheupperpartofherbodyhungconsiderablyinadvanceofherfeet，whichcouldonlytripintinysteps，owingtothetightnessoftheskirtroundherankles。
　　Thedressitselfconsistedofasmallpieceofshinyyellowsatin，adornedhereandthereindiscriminatelywithroundshieldsofblueandgreenbeadsmadetoimitatehuesofapeacock’sbreast。
　　Onthesummitofafrothycastleofhairapurpleplumestooderect，whilehershortneckwasencircledbyablackvelvetribbonknobbedwithgems，andgoldenbraceletsweretightlywedgedintothefleshofherfatglovedarms。Shehadthefaceofanimpertinentbutjollylittlepig，mottledredunderadustingofpowder。
　　St。JohncouldnotjoininHelen’slaughter。
　　“Itmakesmesick，“hedeclared。“Thewholethingmakesmesick……Considerthemindsofthosepeople——theirfeelings。
　　Don’tyouagree？“
　　“Ialwaysmakeavownevertogotoanotherpartyofanydescription，“
　　Helenreplied，“andIalwaysbreakit。“
　　Sheleantbackinherchairandlookedlaughinglyattheyoungman。
　　Shecouldseethathewasgenuinelycross，ifatthesametimeslightlyexcited。
　　“However，“hesaid，resuminghisjauntytone，“Isupposeonemustjustmakeupone’smindtoit。“
　　“Towhat？“
　　“Thereneverwillbemorethanfivepeopleintheworldworthtalkingto。“
　　SlowlytheflushandsparkleinHelen’sfacediedaway，andshelookedasquietandasobservantasusual。
　　“Fivepeople？“sheremarked。“Ishouldsaythereweremorethanfive。“
　　“You’vebeenveryfortunate，then，“saidHirst。“OrperhapsI’vebeenveryunfortunate。“Hebecamesilent。
　　“ShouldyousayIwasadifficultkindofpersontogetonwith？“
　　heaskedsharply。
　　“Mostcleverpeoplearewhenthey’reyoung，“Helenreplied。
　　“AndofcourseIam——immenselyclever，“saidHirst。“I’minfinitelyclevererthanHewet。It’squitepossible，“hecontinuedinhiscuriouslyimpersonalmanner，“thatI’mgoingtobeoneofthepeoplewhoreallymatter。That’sutterlydifferentfrombeingclever，thoughonecan’texpectone’sfamilytoseeit，“headdedbitterly。
　　Helenthoughtherselfjustifiedinasking，“Doyoufindyourfamilydifficulttogetonwith？“