I must do him the justice to
say, though, that his cigars were splendid. But he was a ruffian; while
the viscount here is a true child of wisdom. He is severe upon our
faults, it is true; but he is never harsh nor brutal to his servants.
Then he is uniformly generous; which in the long run pays us best. I
must say that he is better than the majority, and that the count is very
unreasonable."
Such was the judgment of the servants. That of society was perhaps less
favorable.
The Viscount de Commarin was not one of those who possess the rather
questionable and at times unenviable accomplishment of pleasing every
one. He was wise enough to distrust those astonishing personages who
are always praising everybody. In looking about us, we often see men of
success and reputation, who are simply dolts, without any merit except
their perfect insignificance. That stupid propriety which offends
no one, that uniform politeness which shocks no one's vanity, have
peculiarly the gift of pleasing and of succeeding.
One cannot meet certain persons without saying, "I know that face; I
have seen it somewhere, before;" because it has no individuality, but
simply resembles faces seen in a common crowd.
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