It may be asserted that every man is the victim of a particular sort of follies, the follies engendered by his particular sort of surroundings; they make a fool's circle within which each of us has a foot planted; for the rest, we may be, and no doubt generally are, very sensible people. If we set aside Squire Delane's special and indigenous illusions, he was very far indeed from a fool, and after dinner that evening he treated his distinguished guest with no small tact. The young man was beyond question a force; was it outside of ingenuity to turn him in a better direction? "Everybody approves of your letter," he said. "Roberts had no business to drag your name in." "Of course one is exposed to that sort of thing." "It's a penalty of greatness. But the case is peculiar when you're actually living in the place." "That's exactly what I feel. It's making me a party in a local quarrel." "That's what he wanted to do; he wanted to fight under your shield." "I didn't come here to fight at all." "I should think not; and you haven't found us thirsting for battle, have you?" "I have found a kinder welcome than I had any right to expect." "My dear fellow! Much as we differ, we're all proud of counting you as a Denshire man. And I don't suppose we shall quarrel much about Denshire affairs. Oh, I know you think the whole system of country life an iniquity. I don't go so deep myself. I say, there it is. Perhaps it might be changed, but, pending that, sensible men can work together to make the best of it. At any rate, they can avoid treading on one another's corns." "I want to avoid everybody's corns, if they'll avoid mine." "Well, we'll try. I dare say we shall pull together. At any rate, it's very pleasant dining together. Shall we go upstairs and ask Janet for a song?" Mrs. Delane had evidently caught her cue from her husband, and she treated Dale not as a sinner who repenteth,--a mode of reception which, after all, requires great tact to make it acceptable,--but as one who had never been a sinner at all. She asked Dale if he had been overwhelmed by callers. He replied that he had not suffered much in that way. "I knew it," she said. "You have frightened them, Mr. Bannister; they think you came in search of studious retirement." "Oh, I hate both study and retirement, Mrs. Delane." "Well, I shall tell people that--may I? Now, when I was at the Cransfords' yesterday,--he's our Lord Lieutenant, you know,--they were wondering whether they might call." "I am delighted to see anyone." "From the Mayor upward--or, I suppose, Hedger would think I ought to say downward. We heard what fun you made of the poor man." "Mr. Bannister will be more respectful to the Lord Lieutenant," said Janet, smiling. "I suppose I disapprove of Lord Lieutenants," remarked Dale, with a laugh. "You'll like Lady Cransford very much, and she'll like you. She gives so many balls that a bachelor household is a godsend."