Mr. Vincent laughed, and protested that he should be very unwilling to give up his title to civilized society; and that, instead of wishing to have less knowledge, he regretted that he had not more. "I am sensible," said he, "that I have many prejudices;--Miss Portman has made me ashamed of some of them."
There was a degree of candour in Mr. Vincent's manner and conversation, which interested every body in his favour; Belinda amongst the rest. She was perfectly at ease in Mr. Vincent's company, because she considered him as a person who wished for her friendship, without having any design to engage her affections. From several hints that dropped from him, from Mr. Percival, and from Lady Anne, she was persuaded that he was attached to some creole lady; and all that he said in favour of the elegant softness and delicacy of his countrywomen confirmed this opinion.
Miss Portman was not one of those young ladies who fancy that every gentleman who converses freely with them will inevitably fall a victim to the power of their charms, and will see in every man a lover, or nothing.
"I've found it!--I've found it, mamma!" cried little Charles Percival, running eagerly into the room with a plant in his hand. "Will you send this in your letter to Helena Delacour, and tell her that is the thing that gold fishes are so fond of? And tell her that it is called lemna, and that it may be found in any ditch or pool."
"But how can she find ditches and pools in Grosvenor-square, my dear?"
"Oh, I forgot that. Then will you tell her, mamma, that I will send her a great quantity?"
"I don't know, mamma, yet--but I will find out some way."
"Would it not be as well, my dear," said his mother, smiling, "to consider how you can perform your promises before you make them?"
"A gentleman," said Mr. Vincent, "never makes a promise that he cannot perform."
"I know that very well," said the boy, proudly: "Miss Portman, who is very good-natured, will, I am sure, be so good, when she goes back to Lady Delacour, as to carry food for the gold fishes to Helena--you see that I have found out a way to keep my promise."
"No, I'm afraid not," said Belinda; "for I am not going back to Lady Delacour's."
"Then I am very glad of it!" said the boy, dropping the weed, and clapping his hands joyfully; "for then I hope you will always stay here, don't you, mamma?--don't _you_, Mr. Vincent? Oh, _you_ do, I am sure, for I heard you say so to papa the other day! But what makes you grow so red?"