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ROMANCE AND REALITY.
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and extended the boundary of its domains, and devoted the rest of his days to building and planting, corn laws and the country, yet to this there was a very adverse influence.

We all know, either from experience or observation, that Janus would be a very appropriate marriage deity; inasmuch as he has two faces, which look opposite ways. Lady Mandeville was, as I have said, compounded of all the elements of society: its love of excitement—its necessity of variety—its natural gift of language—its grace inherent and its grace acquired—its vivacity and its vanity. She liked talking—she looked very pretty when she talked; she liked strangers—every stranger was a new idea; and her mind was of that order which requires collision to bring out its sparkles. She read as an amusement, rather than as a resource—and, moreover, thought the information almost thrown away which was not communicated.

Again, she was accustomed to look at things on their ridiculous in preference to their sentimental side. She loved her husband most entirely; but she thought it a great deal pleasanter to spend the morning, while he was away, in gay visits or a drive round the ring,