He did, indeed, make more or less pretty
speeches to her from time to time, of a cheerfully complimentary
character when he had won money, of a gracefully melancholy nature when
he had lost, but she was far too womanly not to miss something very
essential in what he said and in his way of saying it. A woman may love
flattery ever so much and have ever so strong a moral absorbent system
with which to digest it; she does not hate banality the less. There is
no such word as banality in the English tongue, but there might be, and
if there were, it would mean that peculiarly tasteless and saltless
nature of actions and speeches done and delivered by persons who are
born dull, or who are mentally exhausted, or are absent-minded, or very
shy, but who, in spite of natural or accidental disadvantages are
determined to make themselves agreeable. The standard of banality
differs indeed for every woman, and with every woman for almost every
hour of the day, and men of the world who husband their worldly
resources are aware of the fact. Angelina at three in the afternoon,
fresh from rest and luncheon--if both agree with her--is wreathed in
smiles at a little speech of Edwin's which would taste like sweet
camomile tea after dry champagne, at three in the morning, when the
Hungarian music is ringing madly in her ears and there are only two more
waltzes on the programme.
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