Berengaria. 'He's the assistant District Superintendent of Police, commonly called the Policeman, and generally one of the best all round men in the station. We've bad luck just now in having two policemen like that awful old tyrant, Mr. Proudfoot, and a silly little boy like young de Vere Smith de Vere.'
I found out afterwards that both Mr. Proudfoot and Mr. de Vere Smith de Vere had once upon a time stood high in the estimation of Berengaria. But why should I give her away? We can't love everybody always.
Naturally it was the bachelors I was most interested in. But Berengaria dismissed them summarily.
'Young Mr. Colborne is quite the best of them,' she said in her direct, downright way, that rather condemned all the others. 'He's a good sort, splendid at all sorts of games, very good-looking, and popular with everybody.'
I'm not quite sure that the description of Mr. Colborne altogether prejudiced me in his favour. I'm always doubtful whether I shall like a person who is said to be universally popular. I've a suspicion that he must be weak or thick skinned or a fraud. I've seen such extraordinary specimens who have been popular. I know that being what is commonly known as a good sort goes a long way, and it covers a multitude of shortcomings, but it can't quite cover them all. If anyone, either a man or a woman, has enough in them to make real friends, then it's a dead certainty that they will
