"Yes, sometimes," said Mainwaring, graciously, but by no means certain
that the case was at all analogous.
Nevertheless, as if relieved of certain doubts of the conventional
quality of his host's attainments, he now gave himself up to a very
hearty and honest admiration of Bradley. "You know it's awfully kind of
him to talk to a fellow like me who just pulled through, and never got
any prizes at Oxford, and don't understand the half of these things," he
remarked confidentially to Mrs. Bradley. "He knows more about the things
we used to go in for at Oxford than lots of our men, and he's never been
there. He's uncommonly clever."
"Jim was always very brilliant," returned Mrs. Bradley, indifferently,
and with more than even conventionally polite wifely deprecation; "I
wish he were more practical."
"Practical! Oh, I say, Mrs. Bradley! Why, a fellow that can go in among
a lot of workmen and tell them just what to do--an all-round chap
that can be independent of his valet, his doctor, and his--banker! By
Jove--THAT'S practical!"
"I mean," said Mrs. Bradley, coldly, "that there are some things that
a gentleman ought not to be practical about nor independent of. Mr.
Bradley would have done better to have used his talents in some more
legitimate and established way.
Pages:
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39