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suppress　it。　　The　most　adroit　employ　a　somewhat　elaborate　reserve　

as　a　means　to　be　frank；　much　as　they　wear　gloves　when　they　shake　

hands。　　But　a　man　has　the　full　responsibility　of　his　freedom；　

cannot　evade　a　question；　can　scarce　be　silent　without　rudeness；　

must　answer　for　his　words　upon　the　moment；　and　is　not　seldom　left　

face　to　face　with　a　damning　choice；　between　the　more　or　less　

dishonourable　wriggling　of　Deronda　and　the　downright　woodenness　of　

Vernon　Whitford。



But　the　superiority　of　women　is　perpetually　menaced；　they　do　not　

sit　throned　on　infirmities　like　the　old；　they　are　suitors　as　well　

as　sovereigns；　their　vanity　is　engaged；　their　affections　are　too　

apt　to　follow；　and　hence　much　of　the　talk　between　the　sexes　

degenerates　into　something　unworthy　of　the　name。　　The　desire　to　

please；　to　shine　with　a　certain　softness　of　lustre　and　to　draw　a　

fascinating　picture　of　oneself；　banishes　from　conversation　all　that　

is　sterling　and　most　of　what　is　humorous。　　As　soon　as　a　strong　

current　of　mutual　admiration　begins　to　flow；　the　human　interest　

triumphs　entirely　over　the　intellectual；　and　the　commerce　of　words；　

consciously　or　not；　becomes　secondary　to　the　commencing　of　eyes。　　

But　even　where　this　ridiculous　danger　is　avoided；　and　a　man　and　

woman　converse　equally　and　honestly；　something　in　their　nature　or　

their　education　falsifies　the　strain。　　An　instinct　prompts　them　to　

agree；　and　where　that　is　impossible；　to　agree　to　differ。　　Should　

they　neglect　the　warning；　at　the　first　suspicion　of　an　argument；　

they　find　themselves　in　different　hemispheres。　　About　any　point　of　

business　or　conduct；　any　actual　affair　demanding　settlement；　a　

woman　will　speak　and　listen；　hear　and　answer　arguments；　not　only　

with　natural　wisdom；　but　with　candour　and　logical　honesty。　　But　if　

the　subject　of　debate　be　something　in　the　air；　an　abstraction；　an　

excuse　for　talk；　a　logical　Aunt　Sally；　then　may　the　male　debater　

instantly　abandon　hope；　he　may　employ　reason；　adduce　facts；　be　

supple；　be　smiling；　be　angry；　all　shall　avail　him　nothing；　what　the　

woman　said　first；　that　（unless　she　has　forgotten　it）　she　will　

repeat　at　the　end。　　Hence；　at　the　very　junctures　when　a　talk　

between　men　grows　brighter　and　quicker　and　begins　to　promise　to　

bear　fruit；　talk　between　the　sexes　is　menaced　with　dissolution。　　

The　point　of　difference；　the　point　of　interest；　is　evaded　by　the　

brilliant　woman；　under　a　shower　of　irrelevant　conversational　

rockets；　it　is　bridged　by　the　discreet　woman　with　a　rustle　of　silk；　

as　she　passes　smoothly　forward　to　the　nearest　point　of　safety。　　And　

this　sort　of　prestidigitation；　juggling　the　dangerous　topic　out　of　

sight　until　it　can　be　reintroduced　with　safety　in　an　altered　shape；　

is　a　piece　of　tactics　among　the　true　drawing…room　queens。



The　drawing…room　is；　indeed；　an　artificial　place；　it　is　so　by　our　

choice　and　for　our　sins。　　The　subjection　of　women；　the　ideal　

imposed　upon　them　from　the　cradle；　and　worn；　like　a　hair…shirt；　

with　so　much　constancy；　their　motherly；　superior　tenderness　to　

man's　vanity　and　self…importance；　their　managing　arts　…　the　arts　of　

a　civilised　slave　among　good…natured　barbarians　…　are　all　painful　

ingredients　and　all　help　to　falsify　relations。　　It　is　not　till　we　

get　clear　of　that　amusing　artificial　scene　that　genuine　relations　

are　founded；　or　ideas　honestly　compared。　　In　the　garden；　on　the　

road　or　the　hillside；　or　TETE…A…TETE　and　apart　from　interruptions；　

occasions　arise　when　we　may　learn　much　from　any　single　woman；　and　

nowhere　more　often　than　in　married　life。　　Marriage　is　one　long　

conversation；　chequered　by　disputes。　　The　disputes　are　valueless；　

they　but　ingrain　the　difference；　the　heroic　heart　of　woman　

prompting　her　at　once　to　nail　her　colours　to　the　mast。　　But　in　the　

intervals；　almost　unconsciously　and　with　no　desire　to　shine；　the　

whole　material　of　life　is　turned　over　and　over；　ideas　are　struck　

out　and　shared；　the　two　persons　more　and　more　adapt　their　notions　

one　to　suit　the　other；　and　in　process　of　time；　without　sound　of　

trumpet；　they　conduct　each　other　into　new　worlds　of　thought。











CHAPTER　XII。　THE　CHARACTER　OF　DOGS





THE　civilisation；　the　manners；　and　the　morals　of　dog…kind　are　to　a　

great　extent　subordinated　to　those　of　his　ancestral　master；　man。　　

This　animal；　in　many　ways　so　superior；　has　accepted　a　position　of　

inferiority；　shares　the　domestic　life；　and　humours　the　caprices　of　

the　tyrant。　　But　the　potentate；　like　the　British　in　India；　pays　

small　regard　to　the　character　of　his　willing　client；　judges　him　

with　listless　glances；　and　condemns　him　in　a　byword。　　Listless　have　

been　the　looks　of　his　admirers；　who　have　exhausted　idle　terms　of　

praise；　and　buried　the　poor　soul　below　exaggerations。　　And　yet　more　

idle　and；　if　possible；　more　unintelligent　has　been　the　attitude　of　

his　express　detractors；　those　who　are　very　fond　of　dogs　〃but　in　

their　proper　place〃；　who　say　〃poo'　fellow；　poo'　fellow；〃　and　are　

themselves　far　poorer；　who　whet　the　knife　of　the　vivisectionist　or　

heat　his　oven；　who　are　not　ashamed　to　admire　〃the　creature's　

instinct〃；　and　flying　far　beyond　folly；　have　dared　to　resuscitate　

the　theory　of　animal　machines。　　The　〃dog's　instinct〃　and　the　

〃automaton…dog；〃　in　this　age　of　psychology　and　science；　sound　like　

strange　anachronisms。　　An　automaton　he　certainly　is；　a　machine　

working　independently　of　his　control；　the　heart；　like　the　mill…

wheel；　keeping　all　in　motion；　and　the　consciousness；　like　a　person　

shut　in　the　mill　garret；　enjoying　the　view　out　of　the　window　and　

shaken　by　the　thunder　of　the　stones；　an　automaton　in　one　corner　of　

which　a　living　spirit　is　confined：　an　automaton　like　man。　　Instinct　

again　he　certainly　possesses。　　Inherited　aptitudes　are　his；　

inherited　frailties。　　Some　things　he　at　once　views　and　understands；　

as　though　he　were　awakened　from　a　sleep；　as　though　he　came　

〃trailing　clouds　of　glory。〃　　But　with　him；　as　with　man；　the　field　

of　instinct　is　limited；　its　utterances　are　obscure　and　occasional；　

and　about　the　far　larger　part　of　life　both　the　dog　and　his　master　

must　conduct　their　steps　by　deduction　and　observation。



The　leading　distinction　between　dog　and　man；　after　and　perhaps　

before　the　different　duration　of　their　lives；　is　that　the　one　can　

speak　and　that　the　other　cannot。　　The　absence　of　the　power　of　

speech　confines　the　dog　in　the　development　of　his　intellect。　　It　

hinders　him　from　many　speculations；　for　words　are　the　beginning　of　

meta…physic。　　At　the　same　blow　it　saves　him　from　many　

superstitions；　and　his　silence　has　won　for　him　a　higher　name　for　

virtue　than　his　conduct　justifies。　　The　faults　of　the　dog　are　many。　　

He　is　vainer　than　man；　singularly　greedy　of　notice；　singularly　

intolerant　of　ridicule；　suspicious　like　the　deaf；　jealous　to　the　

degree　of　frenzy；　and　radically　devoid　of　truth。　　The　day　of　an　

intelligent　small　dog　is　passed　in　the　manufacture　and　the　

laborious　communication　of　falsehood；　he　lies　with　his　tail；　he　

lies　with　his　eye；　he　lies　with　his　protesting　paw；　and　when　he　

rattles　his　dish　or　scratches　at　the　door　his　purpose　is　other　than　

appears。　　But　he　has　some　apology　to　offer　for　the　vice。　　Many　of　

the　signs　which　form　his　dialect　have　come　to　bear　an　arbitrary　

meaning；　clearly　understood　both　by　his　master　and　himself；　yet　

when　a　new　want　arises　he　must　either　invent　a　new　vehicle　of　

meaning　or　wrest　an　old　one　to　a　different　purpose；　and　this　

necessity　frequently　recurring　must　tend　to　lessen　his　idea　of　the　

sanctity　of　symbols。　　Meanwhile　the　dog　is　clear　in　his　own　

conscience；　and　draws；　with　a　human　nicety；　the　distinction　between　

formal　and　essential　truth。　　Of　his　punning　perversions；　his　

legitimate　dexterity　with　symbols；　he　is　even　vain；　but　when　he　has　

told　and　been　detected　in　a　lie；　there　is　not　a　hair　upon　his　body　

but　confesses　guilt。　　To　a　dog　of　gentlemanly　feeling　theft　and　

falsehood　are　disgraceful　vices。　　The　canine；　like　the　human；　

gentleman　demands　in　his　misdemeanours　Montaigne's　〃JE　NE　SAIS　QUOI　

DE　GENEREUX。〃　　He　is　never　more　than　half　ashamed　of　having　barked　

or　bitten；　and　for　those　faults　into　which　he　has　been　led　by　the　

desire　to　shine　before　a　lady　of　his　race；　he　retains；　even　under　

physical　correction；　a　share　of　pride。　　But　to　be　caught　lying；　if　

he　understands　it；　instantly　uncurls　his　fleece。



Just　as　among　dull　observers　he　preserves　a　name　for　truth；　the　dog　

has　been　credited　with　modesty。　　It　is　amazing　how　the　use　of　

language　blunts　the　faculties　of　man　…　that　because　vain　glory　

finds　no　vent　in　words；　creatures　supplied　with　eyes　have　been　

unable　to　detect　a　fault　so　gross　and　obvious。　　If　a　small　spoiled　

dog　were　suddenly　to　be　endowed　with　speech；　he　would　prate　

interminably；　and　still　about　himself；　when　we　had　friends；　we　

should　be　forced　to　lock　him　in　a　garret；　and　what　with　his　whining　

jealousies　and　his　foible　fo