Such a woman
knows when to be silent, especially with the fools whom she could laugh
at, or the ignorant whom she could humiliate. She is indulgent towards
absurdities because she does not yearn to display her knowledge, and
she is observant of whatsoever is good, because she desires to improve
herself. Her great object is to understand, not to instruct. The great
art (since it is recognised that art is required even in the commerce of
words) is not to pit against one another two arrogant opponents,
eager to parade their learning and to amuse the company by discussing
questions the solution of which no one troubles about, but to illumine
every unprofitable disputation by bringing in the help of all who can
throw a little light on the points at issue. This is a talent of which
I can see no signs among the hostesses who are so cried up. In their
houses I always find two fashionable barristers, and a thunderstruck
audience, in which no one dares to be judge. The only art these ladies
have is to make the man of genius ridiculous, and the ordinary man dumb
and inert. One comes away from such houses saying, 'Those were fine
speeches,' and nothing more."
I really think that I was in the right here; but I cannot forget that my
chief cause of anger against these women arose from the fact that they
paid no attention to people, however able they might think themselves,
unless they happened to be famous--the _people_ being myself, as you may
easily imagine.
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