You were bound to
notice that Hesketh as a stranger had his own point of
view, his own training to retreat upon.
"I certainly liked him better over there," Lorne told
Advena, "but then he was a part of it--he wasn't separated
out as he is here. He was just one sort of fellow that
you admired, and there were lots of sorts that you admired
more. Over here you seem to see round him somehow."
"I shouldn't have thought it difficult," said his sister.
"Besides," Lorne confessed, "I expect it was easier to
like him when you were inclined to like everybody. A
person feels more critical of a visitor, especially when
he's had advantages," he added honestly. "I expect we
don't care about having to acknowledge 'em so very
much--that's what it comes to."
"I don't see them," said Advena. "Mr Hesketh seems well
enough in his way, fairly intelligent and anxious to be
pleasant. But I can't say I find him a specially interesting
or valuable type."
"Interesting, you wouldn't. But valuable--well, you see,
you haven't been in England--you haven't seen them over
there, crowds of 'em, piling up the national character.
Hesketh's an average, and for an average he's high. Oh,
he's a good sort--and he just SMELLS of England."
"He seems all right in his politics," said John Murchison,
filling his pipe from the tobacco jar on the mantelpiece.
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