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The verdict of every one to whom the general applies was favorable to the poor clerk, "so interesting," as they called him. His marriage had made Sibilet as irreproachable as a novel of Miss Edgeworth's, and presented him, moreover, in the light of a disinterested man.
Among the calls on Edgeworth's time about 1790 was the management of the embarrassed affairs of a relation; he had some difficulties with the creditors, but in trying to collect arrears of rent he found himself not only in difficulty, but in actual peril.
By the way, Walter, when you are writing, tell me who is the favorite novelist in the fourth form now? have you got anything so good and kindly as dear Miss Edgeworth's Frank?
"Do tell me all about it; I 'm so interested, and I know something has happened, I hear it in your voice, for I can't see your face." "Do you remember the talk we once had after reading one of Miss Edgeworth's stories about not letting one's lovers come to a declaration if one did n't love them?" "Yes." "And you girls said it was n't proper, and I said it was honest, anyway.
They showed much respect, my brother Sneyd says, to our pious cousin the Abbe Edgeworth's memory, and he was much edified by their manner of living together, Bousset and his wife he a Catholic, and she a German Protestant, "perfect Christian happiness thoroughly existing between two persons of different Churches, but of the same faith."
Edgeworth's patience in teaching was surprising, as Maria remarks, in a man of his vivacity.
As a matter of fact, Madame de Stael's goody English characters, are rather like Miss Edgeworth's naughty French ones in Leonora and elsewhere clever generalisations from a little observation and a great deal of preconceived idea, not studies from the life.
"Many years since," resumed Darrell, with reflective air, "I read Miss Edgeworth's novels; and in conversing with Miss Honoria Vipont, methinks I confer with one of Miss Edgeworth's heroines so rational, so prudent, so well-behaved so free from silly romantic notions so replete with solid information, moral philosophy and natural history so sure to regulate her watch and her heart to the precise moment, for the one to strike, and the other to throb and to marry at last a respectable steady husband, whom she will win with dignity, and would lose with decorum!
"Anyhow," he said, "let us hear what the man has to say," and so read on to the passage where Scott explained that he desired to do for Scotland what had been done for Ireland: "to emulate the admirable fidelity of Miss Edgeworth's portraits." What Maria Edgeworth felt we know from the letter she posted off "to the Author of 'Waverley, Aut Scotus aut Diabolus."
Macmillan asked me to write a preface to this new edition of Miss Edgeworth's stories I thought I should like to see the place where she had lived so long and where she had written so much, and so it happened that being in Ireland early this year, my daughter and I found ourselves driving up to Broadstone Station one morning in time for the early train to Edgeworthstown.
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