e for Letty, if possible, a
share in her husband's pleasures.

Quietly, yet swiftly, a certain peaceful familiarity had established
itself between Hesper and Mary, to which the perfect balance of the
latter and her sense of the only true foundation of her position
contributed far more than the undefined partiality of the former. The
possibility of such a conversation as I am now going to set down was
one of the results.

"Do you like Mr. Helmer, ma'am?" asked Mary one morning, as she was
brushing her hair.

"Very well. How do you know anything of him?"

"Not many people within ten miles of Testbridge do not know Mr.
Helmer," answered Mary.

"Yes, yes, I remember," said Hesper. "He used to ride about on a
long-legged horse, and talked to anybody that would listen to him. But
there was always something pleasing about him, and he is much improved.
Do you know, he is considered really very clever?"

"I am not surprised," rejoined Mary. "He used to be rather foolish, and
that is a sign of cleverness--at least, many clever people are foolish,
I think."

"You can't have had much opportunity for making the observation, Mary!"

"Clever people think as much of themselves in the country as they do in
London, and that is what makes them foolish," returned Mary. "But I
used to think Mr. Helmer had very good points, and was worth doing
something for--if one only knew what."

"He does not seem to want anything done for him," said Hesper.

"I know one thing _you_ could do for him, and it would be no trouble,"
said Mary.

"I will do anything for anybody that is no trouble," answered Hesper.
"I should like to know something that is no trouble."

"It is only, the next time you ask him, to ask his wife," said Mary.

"He is married, then?" returned Hesper with indifference. "Is the woman
presentable? Some shopkeeper's daughter, I suppose!"

Mary laughed. "You don't imagine the son of a lawyer would be likely to
marry a shopkeeper's daughter!" she said.

"Why not?" returned Hesper, with a look of non-intelligence.

"Because a professional man is so far above a tradesman."

"Oh!" said Hesper. "--But he should have told me if he wanted to bring
his wife with him. I don't care who she is, so long as she dresses
decently and holds her tongue. What are you laughing at, Mary?"

Hesper called it laughing, but Mary was only smiling.

"I can't help being amused," answered Mary, "that you should think it
such an out-of-the-way