ds.
Presentlyhestopped.“I’mnotavainman,”heremarked,“butImustsayIdon’tthinkI’vedonebadly.”
Edward,forawhile,wassomewhatoverwhelmedbyhisowngreatness,buttheopinioncametohisrescuethattherewardswereonlyaccordingtohisdesertsandpresentlyheenteredenergeticallyintothenotveryarduousdutiesoftheCountyCouncillor.
Berthacontinuallyexpectedtohearsomethingtohisdisadvantagebut,onthecontrary,everythingseemedtoproceedverysatisfactorilyandEdward’saptitudeforbusiness,hiskeennessinmakingabargain,hiscommonsense,wereheraldedabroadinamannerthatshouldhavebeenmostgratifyingtohiswife.
ButasamatteroffacttheseconstantpraisesexceedinglydisquietedBertha.Sheaskedherselfuneasilywhethershewasdoinghimaninjustice.Washereallysocleverhadheindeedthevirtueswhichcommonreportascribedtohim?Perhapsshewasprejudicedorperhaps—hewasclevererthanshe.Thisthoughtcamelikeablow,forshehadneverdoubtedthatherintellectwassuperiortoEdward’s.Theirrespectiveknowledgewasnotcomparable:sheoccupiedherselfwithideasthatEdwarddidnotconceivehismindwaseverengagedintheutteresttrivialities.Heneverinterestedhimselfinabstractthings,andhisconversationwastedious,asonlytheabsenceofspeculationcouldmakeit.Itwasextraordinarythateveryonebutherselfshouldsohighlyestimatehisintelligence.Berthaknewthathismindwaspaltryandhisignorancephenomenal:hispretentiousnessmadehimacharlatan.Onedayhecametoher,hisheadfullofanewidea.
“Isay,Bertha,I’vebeenthinkingitoveranditseemsapitythatyournameshouldbedroppedentirely.AnditsoundsfunnythatpeoplecalledCraddockshouldliveatCourtLeys.”
“D’youthinkso?Idon’tknowhowyoucanremedyit—unlessyouthinkofadvertisingfortenantswithamoresuitablename.”
“Well,Iwasthinkingitwould