Page:An American Girl in India.djvu/199

 make enemies too. It's only the weak sort of people who'll take a snub or anything else that comes along smilingly that will ever be popular all round. If you've got any go or spirit in you, you are bound to offend somebody. Besides, if you're really good for anything you'll make nasty people jealous, and that doesn't tend to make you popular. The universally popular person mustn't have enough in him to make anybody jealous. Of course, if you are a fraud you may manage it. That's the only fault I have to find with Aunt Agatha's maxims. When you don't show people what you really think of them you're deceiving them, though this may be and probably is chiefly for the other people's good, and out of pure consideration for their feelings. So the man who can carry dissimulation to a fine art and never let people know what he's really like, and what a contempt he's got for them, stands a good chance in the race for popularity. Fortunately I've never been troubled with a desire to be popular. Give me a few real good friends, and the others can just take care of themselves. We breakfasted at eleven, and soon after twelve we started out upon our calls. We went in a victoria with the hood up, so I was able to wear one of my smartest hats. The topi had been already bundled ignominously out of sight. 'We'll go to Mrs. Binks' first,' said Berengaria, as she gave the order to the coachman. A few minutes' drive along a dusty road, and we were sitting in a nice cool, well ordered