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in the full flow of eloquence. By her graceful and kindly politeness, her ready wit, the almost intuitive tact with which she adapted her varied conversational powers to the peculiar dispositions, personal tastes and interests of those with whom the chances of society might bring her into contact;—all this being expressed with an irresistible fascination of manner very gratifying to the feelings of the individuals concerned, and by which she invariably became the centre and charm of every circle graced with her presence.*[1] It will be said,
- ↑ * After all, perhaps, little can one judge of real character from the superficial view only which general society presents, least of all of such beings as L. E. L. Perhaps if twenty persons who had spent the same evening with her had been asked their opinion, each would have given a different one. Her society-character did in truth resemble the disputed colour of the chamelion, changing its hues with the changeful lights around. In all her varying moods, however, there was an obvious regard to the feelings of others, so that prejudice itself was disarmed, and indifference won over to admiration. That her real nature should sometimes have been misunderstood, is not to be wondered at. The ancient philosophers possessed an outer and inner philosophy, the one for their own refined and cultivated understandings, the other for the obtuser perceptions of the multitude. Is there not, in like manner, belonging to the genius-gifted few, an outer and inner character, the relative proportions and consequent development of which depend on the individual's natural and intellectual temperament, and on the varying circumstances by which it is necessarily influenced? Not that such persons seek beneath a mask to impose upon others. Their manner and its interpretation, to the wise and appreciating, are, under all changes, perfectly intelligible. But not more likely were the uninitiated to understand the refined mysteries and subtle distinctions of the inner doctrines of ancient philosophy, than are now the frivolous, worldly-minded and cold-hearted of our species to comprehend the lofty thoughts and deep feelings of superior natures. Therefore it is necessary, before mixing in the crowd, for genius to veil the earnest brow, the kindling eye, the soul-fraught expression, beneath the measured smiles of courtesy and the ready common-places of conventional
