Personally I should prefer the company of a boa-constrictor.
* * * * *
A man whose vanity I had wounded once took it upon himself to tell me
some plain truths. He did me this honour because I had not sufficiently
appreciated his attentions.
He assured me that I was neither clever nor gifted, but that I was
merely skilful at not letting myself be caught out, and had a certain
quickness of repartee. He was quite right.
What time and energy I have spent in trying to keep up this reputation
of being a clever woman, when I was really not born one!
My vanity demanded that I should not be run after for my appearance
only; so I surrounded myself with clever men and let them call me
intellectual. It was Hans Andersen's old tale of "The King's New
Clothes" over again.
We spoke of political economy, of statesmanship, of art and literature,
finance and religion. I knew nothing about all these things, but, thanks
to an animated air of attention, I steered safely between the rocks and
won a reputation for cleverness.
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