Mrs. Morison opened to Wynne a new world in her conversation. At first
she gave herself up chiefly to entertaining him, telling him delightful
stories of famous folk she had known, of her life abroad and in
Washington. She was full of charming little tales which she had the art
of relating as if she were not thinking of how she was telling them,
but as if they came to her mind and bubbled into talk spontaneously.
She had a way, too, of putting in unobtrusive observations on character
and events which impressed Maurice. The art of saying things
trenchantly he had found in Mrs. Staggchase, but his cousin had the air
of being aware of her cleverness, while Mrs. Morison said these things
as if they were of the natural and habitual current of her thoughts.
Mrs. Morison said clever things as if she thought them; Mrs. Staggchase
as if she thought of them.
It did not take the young man long to discover that Mrs. Morison was
not in sympathy with his creed. She was too well-bred to bring the
matter forward, but he could not resist the temptation now and then to
touch upon it. She was of principles at once so broad and so deep that
he found himself as often surprised by her devoutness as he felt it his
duty to be shocked by her liberality.
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