Cashel Byron's Profession

"I knew you'd be down on me. I wouldn't have said a word if I'd

known that you were here," said Cashel, dejectedly. "Lie down and be

walked over; that's what you think I'm fit for. Another man would

have twisted his head off."

"Is it possible that you do not know that gentlemen never twist one

another's heads off in society, no matter how great may be the

provocation?"

"I know nothing," said Cashel with plaintive sullenness. "Everything

I do is wrong. There. Will that satisfy you?"

Lydia looked up at him in doubt. Then, with steady patience, she

added: "Will you answer me a question on your honor?"

He hesitated, fearing that she was going to ask what he was.

"The question is this," she said, observing the hesitation. "Are you

a simpleton, or a man of science pretending to be a simpleton for

the sake of mocking me and my friends?"

"I am not mocking you; honor bright! All that about science was only

a joke--at least, it's not what you call science. I'm a real

simpleton in drawing-room affairs; though I'm clever enough in my

own line."

"Then try to believe that I take no pleasure in making you confess

yourself in the wrong, and that you cannot have a lower opinion of

me than the contrary belief implies."

"That's just where you're mistaken," said Cashel, obstinately. "I

haven't got a low opinion of you at all. There's such a thing as

being too clever."

"You may not know that it is a low opinion. Nevertheless, it is so."

"Well, have it your own way. I'm wrong again; and you're right."

"So far from being gratified by that, I had rather that we were both

in the right and agreed. Can you understand that?"

"I can't say I do. But I give in to it. What more need you care

for?"

"I had rather you understood. Let me try to explain. You think that

I like to be cleverer than other people. You are mistaken. I should

like them all to know whatever I know."

Cashel laughed cunningly, and shook his head. "Don't you make any

mistake about that," he said. "You don't want anybody to be quite as

clever as yourself; it isn't in human nature that you should. You'd

like people to be just clever enough to show you off--to be worth

beating. But you wouldn't like them to be able to beat you. Just

clever enough to know how much cleverer you are; that's about the

mark. Eh?"