But I beg your pardon for making so bold as to speak of the poor thing.

But to turn to the business in hand, your ladyship--before I proceed to answer the question before me, pray allow me to make one small remark, by way of advice, which proceeds, believe me, from the purest intention and the utmost good will.

First of all, I do not consider it necessary that I should speak to your ladyship at all concerning those persons towards whom--how shall I put it ?--towards whom your ladyship cannot feel the fullest confidence; for although God preserve me from taking any exception to anything in the lives of such distinguished gentlemen and ladies, yet, nevertheless, there may be reasons why it might not be quite desirable for your ladyship to have any intimate relations with them.

On the other hand, I will pick out from this list such persons as will respond to your ladyship's goodness and tenderness of heart with equal tenderness of heart and goodness.

Those, again, whom I shall humbly venture to pass over in silence--and I assume, of course, that they possess in their own honourable persons every recognized good quality--must be taken to be such persons as your ladyship would not care about knowing." "Excellent, excellent, my good friend! You shall make me acquainted with those only whom I should like, and say nothing about the rest.