"Oh, I don't dislike him," said Evelyn; "only I think him very stupid and uninteresting."
I thought Sir William must have heard this remark; but if he heard it he took no notice of it, but appeared to be deep in his book.
"Lord Moreton stupid! Lord Moreton uninteresting!" repeated Mr. Stanley. "Then excuse my saying, Miss Trafford, that if that is your opinion, I am sure you do not know Lord Moreton: no one who really knew him would ever come to such a conclusion."
Mr. Stanley had spoken rather warmly, and Evelyn said in an apologetic tone: "I am very sorry, Mr. Stanley. I see Lord Moreton is a friend of yours; I did not know you knew him at all."
"Yes," he said, smiling, "we were college friends, and have been like brothers ever since. I think I may say that I know Lord Moreton better than any one else knows him, and the more I know him, so much the more I respect him and love him."
"He always seems to me to be so shy and awkward," said Evelyn.
"Yes, so he is with strangers," said Mr. Stanley; "he is a highly nervous man; it is his infirmity, and he knows it; but if he can only shake off his nervousness, he is quite another man. I wish you could have heard him address a meeting of undergraduates the other day, you would not have believed it was the same man."
"Addressing them! On what subject?" asked Evelyn, now more astonished than ever.
"Oh, about personal religion. Lord Moreton has a wonderful power with young men. He is not at all nervous when speaking to them. It is you ladies that make him so shy," said Mr. Stanley, laughing; "you are such formidable beings!"
"Well, I am surprised!" said Evelyn. "I could not have believed it, if you had not told me. And he is a real Christian? I am very glad to hear it."