"
"I think," said Howard, "that he has got good stuff in him; he
would never do anything mean or spiteful; but he would do anything
that he thought consistent with honour to get his way."
"Well, we shall see," said Mrs. Graves; "but he is rather a bad
influence for Maud just now. Maud doesn't suspect his strength, and
I can't have her broken in. Mind, Howard, I look to you to help
Maud along. You have a gift for keeping things reasonable; and you
must use it."
"I thought you believed in letting people alone!" said Howard.
"In theory, yes," said Mrs. Graves, smiling; "I certainly don't
believe in influencing people; but I believe very much in loving
them: it's what I call imaginative sympathy that we want. Some
people have imagination enough to see what other people are
feeling, but it ends there: and some people have unintelligent
sympathy, and that is only spoiling. But one must see what people
are capable of, and what their line is, and help them to find out
what suits them, not try to conform them to what suits oneself; and
that isn't as easy as it sounds."
XII
DIPLOMACY
A few days later Howard was summoned back to Cambridge. One of his
colleagues was ill, and arrangements had to be made to provide for
his work. It astonished him to find how reluctant he was to return;
he seemed to have found the sort of life he needed in this quiet
place. He had walked with the Vicar, and had been deluged with
interesting particulars about the parish.
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