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Book, page 181 / 460 "Worse than this bad effect on my temper!" continued he, "I feel that my whole mind has been deteriorated--my ambition dwindled to the shortest span--my thoughts contracted to the narrow view of mere effect; what would please at the dinner-table or at the clubs--what will be thought of me by this literary coterie, or in that fashionable boudoir. And for this _reputation de salon_ I have sacrificed all hope of other reputation, all power of obtaining it, all hope of "----(here he added a few words, murmured down to Lady Davenant's embroidery frame, yet still in such a tone that Helen could not help thinking he meant she should hear)--"If I had a heart such as--" he paused, and, as if struck with some agonising thought, he sighed deeply, and then added--"but I have not a heart worth such acceptance, or I would make the offer." Helen was not sure what these words meant, but she now pitied him, and she admired his candour, which she thought was so far above the petty sort of character he had at first done himself the injustice to seem, and she seized the first opportunity to tell Beauclerc all Mr. Churchill had said to Lady Davenant and to her, and of the impression it had made upon them both. Beauclerc had often discussed Mr. Churchill's character with her, but she was disappointed when she saw that what she told made no agreeable impression on Beauclerc: at first he stood quite silent, and when she asked what he thought, he said--"It's all very fine, very clever." "But it is all true," said Helen, "And I admire Mr. Churchill's knowing the truth so well and telling it so candidly." "Every thing Mr. Churchill has said may be true--and yet I think the truth is not in him." "You are not usually so suspicious," said Helen. "If you had heard Mr. Churchill's voice and emphasis, and seen his look and manner at the time, I think you could not have doubted him." The more eager she grew, the colder Mr. Beauclerc became. "Look and manner, and voice and emphasis," said he, "make a great impression, I know, on ladies." "But what is your reason, Mr. Beauclerc, for disbelief? I have as yet only heard that you believe every thing that Mr. Churchill said was true,
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