"And therefore," continued Lady Laura, "I talk to you as though I were a kind of grandmother." "You shall be my great-grandmother if you will only be kind enough to me to say what you really think." "You must not then be so impetuous, and you must be a little more careful to be civil to persons to whom you may not take any particular fancy.

Now Mr.Kennedy is a man who may be very useful to you." "I do not want Mr.Kennedy to be of use to me." "That is what I call being impetuous,--being young,--being a boy.

Why should not Mr.Kennedy be of use to you as well as any one else?
You do not mean to conquer the world all by yourself." "No;--but there is something mean to me in the expressed idea that I should make use of any man,--and more especially of a man whom I don't like." "And why do you not like him, Mr.Finn ?" "Because he is one of my Dr.Fells." "You don't like him simply because he does not talk much.

That may be a good reason why you should not make of him an intimate companion,--because you like talkative people; but it should be no ground for dislike." Phineas paused for a moment before he answered her, thinking whether or not it would be well to ask her some question which might produce from her a truth which he would not like to hear.

Then he did ask it.
"And do you like him ?" he said.
She too paused, but only for a second.