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s the romance of his character altogether to Shakspeare." "I sometimes think you despise poetry," said Phineas. "When it is false I do. The difficulty is to know when it is false and when it is true. Tom Moore was always false." "Not so false as Byron," said Phineas with energy. "Much more so, my friend. But we will not discuss that now. Have you seen Mr. Monk since you have been here?" "I have seen no one. I came with Mr. Ratler." "Why with Mr. Ratler? You cannot find Mr. Ratler a companion much to your taste." "Chance brought us together. But Mr. Ratler is a man of sense, Lady Laura, and is not to be despised." "It always seems to me," said Lady Laura, "that nothing is to be gained in politics by sitting at the feet of the little Gamaliels." "But the great Gamaliels will not have a novice on their footstools." "Then sit at no man's feet. Is it not astonishing that the price generally put upon any article by the world is that which the owner puts on it?--and that this is specially true of a man's own self? If you herd with Ratler, men will take it for granted that you are a Ratlerite, and no more. If you consort with Greshams and Pallisers, you will equally be supposed to know your own place." "I never knew a Mentor," said Phineas, "so apt as you are to fill his Telemachus with pride." "It is because I do not think your fault lies that way. If it did, or if I thought so, my Telemachus, you may be sure that I should resign my position as Mentor. Here are Mr. Kennedy and Lady Glencora and Mrs. Gresham on the steps." Then they went up through the Ionic columns on to the broad stone terrace before the door, and there they found a crowd of men and women. For the legislators and statesmen had written their letters, and the ladies had taken their necessary rest. Phineas, as he was dressing, considered deeply all that Lady Laura had said to him,--not so much with reference to the advice which she had given him, though that also was of importance, as to the fact that it had been given by her. She had first called herself his Mentor; but he had accepted the name and had addressed her as her Telemachus. And yet he believed himself to be older than she,--if, indeed, there was any difference in their ages. And was it possible that a female Mentor should love her Telemachus,--should love him as Phineas desired to be loved by Lady Laura? He would not say that it was impossible. Perhaps there had been mist
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